Spastic Colitis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Spastic colitis is a violation of the intestine, which is manifested by abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea (alternately), this disease is one of the forms of inflammation of the large intestine. Painful spasms - one of the signs of colitis - are caused by disruption of the intestine, spasms can occur in different parts of the intestine, which changes the localization of pain.
This form of inflammation is considered a functional disorder.
The disease occurs on the nerves - due to long experiences, stresses, conflicts, physical and nervous overwork, hormonal failures.
Men suffer less from spastic colitis, most likely, this is due to the fact that for the female body, hormonal imbalances are more characteristic against the background of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or childbirth.
ICD-10 code
The code of spastic colitis according to ICD-10 is K-52 (non-infectious gastroenteritis and colitis).
Causes of spastic colitis
The main cause of the disease is malnutrition - frequent use of acute, heavy food, alcohol.
Often the development of colitis leads to chronic constipation, frequent conflicts, various fears, emotional shock, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, intestinal infections (especially in protracted forms). Also provoke inflammation of the intestines can be an allergic reaction to food.
[Symptoms of spastic colitis
Disturbance of intestinal motility is accompanied by painful spasms, bloating, gas formation. Pain often occurs at night, in the morning or after eating.
Also spastic colitis is manifested by the alternation of loose stools and constipation
Chronic spastic colitis develops due to a shortage of fiber in the diet, and to provoke the disorder can often suppress the urge to defecate.
With this form of the disease, the patient suffers from insomnia, headaches, fatigue. The process of bowel evacuation can occur in 2-3 stages, as it is predominantly dry and dense. Treatment in this case is long and requires compliance with certain rules.
Constipation is one of the manifestations of spastic colitis.
When the disease is important, nutrition plays an important role in reducing the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
With systematic constipation, it is recommended to eat more fruits and vegetables that contain fiber and bran. Also, you should drink enough water - at least 2 liters a day.
Some products can provoke constipation, so it is important to monitor your body's reaction to food (if after eating some foods, problems with defecation start, discomfort, etc., it is better to refuse to eat such food).
The main symptoms of spastic constipation are severe abdominal cramps, bloating, rumbling and increased gas formation. Defecation in this case occurs every few days.
Spastic colitis in children
Spastic colitis in children often arises as a complication of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (intestinal, rotavirus infection, etc.). The disease causes high fever, diarrhea (in the beginning there may be constipation), pain, mucous or bloody impurities in the stool (depending on the infection), weakness.
Bright signs of colitis in children appear in a few days (on average after 3 days), and often colitis occurs in combination with gastritis or enteritis. In advanced cases, the child may begin severe dehydration.
Treatment requires the use of enterosorbents, antibiotics, drugs to restore the water-electrolyte balance. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
In chronic spastic colitis, children experience dull abdominal pain, stool, bloating, fatigue, insomnia, low hemoglobin, weight loss. The disease proceeds wavy, acute attacks are followed by prolonged remissions.
Prolonged flow of colitis cause intestinal obstruction, anemia, adhesions in the intestine, inflammation of the peritoneum.
Frequent diarrhea and constipation can provoke cracks in the anus, bowel swelling, and mucosal changes.
During treatment, special attention should be paid to the nutrition of the child - the food should be gentle for the intestine, thermally processed. From the children's menu you need to completely eliminate the acute, acidic, salty, fried dishes.
The child should be in a calm environment, not subject to nervous and physical stress. It is recommended to take mineral waters for the normalization of digestion, spa treatment during periods of remission.
Diagnosis of spastic colitis
With spastic colitis, there are various symptoms. The characteristic signs of this disease are abdominal cramps (or aching pains), most often the pain occurs from the left ileal region, as well as stool disorders (loose stools and constipation).
On examination, a specialist during palpation can determine the pathology of the intestine (enlargement or contraction).
If the spastic colitis is suspected, an endoscopic examination is performed - examination of the rectal mucosa using a sigmoidoscope or a special probe that detects inflammatory processes, atrophy, intestinal dystrophy, mucous plaque (expressed signs of the disease).
In the acute stage, the mucous membrane is loose, covered with erosion, and pinpoint hemorrhages.
With intestinal atrophy, the mucosa is pale, covered with a thin network of vessels, dry (since there is no mucus), intestinal tone is reduced.
To exclude other pathologies, ultrasound, a general blood test, urine, feces, fecal matter in the laboratory for the detection of gastrointestinal pathologies can be prescribed.
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Treatment of spastic colitis
The principle of treatment of spastic colitis is based on the normalization of the stool and the reduction of unpleasant symptoms. During an exacerbation, antiseptic medications are prescribed, which in a short time improve the state of health, however, the recommended course of treatment should not be exceeded, since these drugs can disrupt the intestinal microflora.
To reduce pain, spasmolytics (No-shpa, Decitel) are prescribed, in the hospital the doctor prescribes cholinergetics or adrenoblockers, but such drugs have serious side effects, so they should be taken only under the supervision of a specialist.
In colitis, a large amount of mucous secretion is formed on the walls, preparations with an enveloping action (calcium carbonate) can be prescribed to reduce the irritating effect.
With increased gas formation, enterosorbents (enterosgel, activated charcoal) are assigned, to reduce the increased acidity - acetidine-pepsin, enzyme preparations are also prescribed to improve digestive function.
If the microflora is disturbed, a course of prebiotics or probiotics should be drunk (only after antiseptic drugs).
To improve overall health, multivitamins are prescribed, usually intramuscularly.
For constipation, it is better to use laxatives on an oil base or herbs that do not cause irritation to the mucosa. Good performance is shown by vaseline oil (1 tablespoon per day), olive oil (1/4 cup per day), castor oil (1 tablespoon per day).
If there are frequent nervous overstresses, stresses, etc., a course of sedatives, soothing infusions, and light sleeping pills are recommended.
Alternative remedies for spastic colitis
Treatment with alternative means presupposes the reception of herbal infusions, enemas.
For enemas it is recommended to prepare an infusion of calendula and chamomile (1 tablespoon of a mixture of herbs brew 200ml of boiling water, after cooling, strain). During the procedure, it is necessary to delay for a few minutes the medicinal infusion inside, repeat the procedure 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the severity.
With pains, increased gasification is well help the seeds of anise, the infusion of which you need to replace the usual tea (1 tsp to 200ml of water).
With constipation, alternative medicine recommends eating raw onion juice before meals - 1 tsp. 3 times a day.
Nerve strains are effectively helped by tea with mint or melissa (3 times a day).
With spastic colitis, alternative medicine recommends making microclysters with honey - dissolve in warm boiled water from 50-100 g of honey.
Nutrition for spastic colitis
From the first days of treatment the patient should observe special food.
The diet should be diverse, include foods with a lot of fiber (not fresh gray wheat bread, vegetables, cereal cereals).
Eat small meals up to 6 times a day.
Adult patients are recommended to starve during the first two days during the exacerbation of the disease, then start the morning with a glass of water, at lunch, eat oatmeal (if it is a liquid stool - it is better to cook liquid rice porridge), for dinner - vegetable soup.
The next day you can add to the diet boiled meat, fish, eggs.
It is necessary to exclude foods that irritate the intestines (legumes, nuts, mushrooms, poultry or fish skin, meat with tendons).
In acute periods of the disease, fruits and vegetables are better eaten, as raw symptoms subsided, raw foods can be added to the diet, at first it is better to peel any fruits and vegetables from the skin.
Diet with spastic colitis
The main factor in the normalization of the digestive system is diet.
When a liquid stool is better to include in your diet liquid well-boiled porridge (rice, corn), jelly, boiled soups, mashed potatoes, stewed fried vegetables and fruits, baked or boiled meat, fish.
With frequent constipation, it is better to eat vegetables and fruits in raw form, prunes, freshly squeezed juices from vegetables, fruits, pastries with bran, boiled or baked pumpkin, beetroot.
Prevention of spastic colitis
To prevent spastic colitis, you should eat more foods with fiber, exclude (or reduce) from your menu milk, coffee, sugar substitutes.
It is important to avoid conflict situations, nervous and physical overloads, stressful situations (if necessary, you can drink a course of sedatives).
Prognosis of spastic colitis
With spastic colitis with frequent constipation, bloody diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, may occur, in some cases surgery may be required.
In most cases, the predictions are favorable, the therapy requires an integrated approach (medication, compliance with the diet, and in some cases, a psychoneurologist consultation may be required).
Spastic colitis can occur in acute or chronic form. The disease is caused by a functional disorder of the digestive tract, the main factors triggering the disease are stresses, frequent body overloads (both physical and nervous), malnutrition.