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Enteritis is a term that refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. It is often accompanied by a lesion of the stomach – this is how gastroenteritis is formed. And his symptoms accompany intestinal infections.
Enteritis can be acute with a vivid clinical picture. And chronic, which is the result of improper treatment or a neglected form of an acute form.
Acute inflammation is more often recorded in children and adolescents, and chronic – in the group of adults.
What is enteritis
Enteritis is an inflammatory-dystrophic lesion of the small intestine, which can lead to the death of the entire mucous membrane of the organ.
Almost everyone has experienced an acute form of inflammation, because the symptoms occur due to intestinal damage by bacteria, viruses and protozoa, as well as helminths, toxins. This form of the disease occurs with vivid symptoms.
A long-term process can eventually lead to degenerative and atrophic processes in the mucous membrane. As a result, the main functions of the small intestine are violated – absorption, digestion, and this affects the metabolic processes in the body.
Useful information about enteritis
| Abdominal pain | spilled or around the navel, sometimes in the form of colic |
| Chair | copious, liquid |
| Belly shape | inflated |
| Dehydration | typically |
Causes of enteritis in adults
In clinical practice, several types of enteritis are distinguished, and each form has different causes, although the symptoms are similar.
Infectious. This is the most common form, has a viral or bacterial nature. The source of infection can be food or water. Food contamination can occur for the following reasons:
- violation of sanitary and hygienic rules;
- rules of heat treatment and cooking;
- or meat processing, etc.
Pathogens that can cause enteritis include E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Foods that are more likely to cause infection include:
- insufficiently processed meat, including poultry;
- raw seafood;
- undercooked eggs, etc.
Infection can occur through the use of poor-quality water, as well as through contact.
Among the most common causes of viral enteritis is rotavirus infection, which leads to the rapid development of dehydration and can even be fatal. As well as norovirus, enterovirus and adenovirus infection.
Ray. It is formed against the background of radiation therapy in the treatment of oncopathologies. Radiation affects not only cancerous, but also healthy cells of the oral cavity, stomach and intestines, which can explain the appearance of the corresponding symptoms.
Radiation therapy can lead to inflammation that will continue for several weeks after the start and end of treatment.
Symptoms of enteritis in adults
Regardless of the cause and type, the symptoms of enteritis in adults are bright and difficult to ignore. But the severity of the clinical picture varies, for some the symptoms are mild and pass quickly, for others, the symptoms of enteritis can proceed for a long time and become chronic.
The first symptom of enteritis is a violation of the stool, that is, diarrhea, which is accompanied by severe abdominal pain of a cramping nature, as well as nausea, vomiting, fever and symptoms of intoxication. As a rule, you have to visit the toilet several times a day, the stool is loose, copious, watery with a fetid odor. It may contain particles of undigested food.
When defecation may occur weakness, trembling in the hands, lowering blood pressure, tachycardia. In addition, patients complain of flatulence, that is, painful bloating, pain concentrated around the navel and on the right. All this may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, intolerance to certain foods.
Patients with a chronic course of enteritis look pale and thinner, various signs and symptoms of hypovitaminosis are characteristic: bleeding gums, seizures in the corners of the mouth, brittle hair and nails.
Diagnostics
It is possible to make a preliminary diagnosis on the basis of an external examination and collection of complaints. On palpation of the abdomen, doctors will identify the characteristic symptoms of the disease. Laboratory and imaging tests are required to confirm the diagnosis.
The labs include:
- macro- and microscopic examination of feces, the study of physico-chemical parameters;
- assessment of absorption capacity in the small intestine;
- bacterial cultures for suspected intestinal infection;
- the study of blood counts to exclude anemia and other concomitant diseases.
An endoscopic examination may be needed to detect atrophic changes. But this method of examination is quite rare. More often, radiography with the introduction of a contrast agent is recommended.
Treatment of enteritis in adults
The main goal of treatment is to remove toxins from the body and help the intestines in the process of digestion to restore damaged mucosa and normalize the microbiome. For this purpose, sorbents and probiotics are prescribed for enteritis.
With enteritis, dehydration often develops, therefore rehydration with saline solutions, enzymes is recommended. To eliminate the cause of enteritis, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, antiviral, anthelmintic, or other drugs.
In the treatment of enteritis at home, diet is of great importance. Spicy, fried, smoked are excluded from the diet, alcohol is strictly prohibited. In the acute period, dairy products should be excluded.
The menu consists of light soups, baked vegetables and fruits. As the condition recovers and normalizes, the list of allowed products is expanding, but slowly.
Modern treatments
Treatment of chronic enteritis at home requires effort, because you need to eliminate the cause of the disease, if possible. The tactics of treatment is determined by the severity of the process.
As a rule, this is drug therapy: enzymes, antibiotics, probiotics, antidiarrheals, multivitamins and mineral water of low mineralization.
Prevention of enteritis in adults at home
Prevention of enteritis comes down to following simple rules that will help reduce the likelihood of penetration of pathogenic flora into the intestines. It consists of several items.
Compliance with hygiene rules:
- washing hands regularly throughout the day and always after using the toilet;
- thorough washing of food during cooking;
- avoiding water from unsafe sources;
- use of disinfectants if it is not possible to wash hands.
When cooking:
- thorough cleaning of cutting boards, dishes, each category of products should have its own board;
- observe the rules for storing different categories of products: raw meat should be stored separately from other products;
- follow the rules of heat treatment, exclude fried foods from the diet, especially if it is poultry, fish or eggs.
Other recommendations:
- rejection of bad habits;
- cautious use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, steroids and other drugs that can provoke and aggravate inflammatory processes in the digestive tract.
Popular questions and answers
Almost everyone has experienced symptoms of enteritis, perhaps more than once. We asked the most popular questions about the disease gastroenterologist Anna Belovodskaya.
Due to vomiting and diarrhea, there may be dehydration, especially if the temperature is also elevated, there is intoxication.
Enteritis can threaten with severe intoxication (metabolic products are not excreted, self-poisoning of the body occurs).
In severe enteritis, there may also be bleeding in the intestine, death (necrosis) of part of the intestine, or perforation (formation of a hole in the intestinal wall), which requires immediate surgery, without which the patient will die.
If it is toxic enteritis or allergic, other organs may be affected – the kidneys, heart or liver.
Due to the lack of carbohydrates that are lost in the stool, there may be hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and severe malaise.
Due to the lack of fats, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, as well as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, is disturbed. Because of this, bones suffer (osteoporosis), fractures, and nervous excitability are possible.
If the absorption of minerals suffers, arrhythmias, pressure fluctuations, impaired muscle strength and tone are possible. These patients are often found to be deficient in B vitamins, ascorbic acid, and vitamin D.
In severe chronic enteritis, hormonal imbalance, insufficient thyroid function, problems with the adrenal glands and sex glands occur. Often, against the background of enteritis, gastritis, hepatitis or pancreatitis also occurs.
● body temperature above 38 °C;
● chills, frequent vomiting, fainting;
● severe pain in the abdomen that does not go away after the passage of stool or gas;
● bloody or black stools;
● severe weakness or fatigue;
● stool more than 7 – 8 times a day.
In these cases, it is necessary to see a doctor who will determine how to treat acute enteritis in a particular case.
Patients with severe enteritis, as well as enteritis of toxic origin (the further course of which is difficult to determine in the first hours of the disease) must be hospitalized. Patients with infectious enteritis are hospitalized in infectious diseases hospitals.
Treatment of chronic enteritis involves adherence to sick bed rest, the use of food enriched with protein, vitamins and salts.
Strictly prohibited – smoking, drinking alcohol.
Outside of exacerbation, you can treat at home. A drinking regimen is recommended (with enteritis, a huge amount of fluid and salts are lost by the body, so they need to be replenished.). You can also use folk remedies – a decoction or infusion of chamomile flowers, dill seeds, valerian root, calamus rhizomes, oregano herbs.
In chronic enteritis, it is useful to drink mineral water, but on condition that there is no diarrhea. Low-mineralized waters are recommended: “Slavyanovskaya”, “Smirnovskaya”, “Essentuki No. 4”, “Narzan” in a warm form, without gas, no more than 1/4 cup per reception.
It is possible to use sorbents, such as activated charcoal, as a means of first aid, based on the weight of a person.
The rest of the medicines can be used strictly according to the doctor’s prescription – these are drugs to normalize the stool, intestinal microflora, and eliminate the pain syndrome.