The most common inflammatory bowel diseases. Do we know their symptoms?

Inflammatory diseases of the intestinal system represent a very diverse group of diseases. Therefore, prevention and treatment are based on the causative agent.

Inflammation is the body's natural defence. It triggers the immune system. However, if this inflammatory reaction exceeds a certain threshold, it ceases to function.

Possible triggers of intestinal inflammation

• bacterial action
• viral action
• the presence of parasites
• action of antibiotics
• inappropriate food or combination of foods
• immune system disorder
• idiopathic - non-specific inflammatory diseases

Infectious inflammatory bowel disease

Infectious inflammatory bowel diseases are among the most common bowel diseases. They can be caused by various viruses, bacteria, chlamydia or parasites.

Such diseases are most often manifested by diarrhea and increased temperature, nausea and vomiting. It affects people of all ages, regardless of gender.

Diarrhoea can be quite frequent and have a watery character.

Particularly in children and the elderly, diarrhoea can easily lead to dehydration, which can be dangerous.

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Gastroenteritis

This inflammatory disease of the digestive tract is also called stomach flu or intestinal viremia. It is an irritation associated with inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

The cause can be bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasitic infections.

It is transmitted by the so-called faecal-oral route or by droplet infection. It is therefore transmitted through dirty hands, poor hygiene, contaminated water, food, as well as sneezing and coughing.

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The onset of gastroenteritis is relatively quick. It is usually more severe, but short-lived. The first symptoms can appear after the first day of infection.

Weakness, nausea, fever and often body aches and pains follow, followed by crampy abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The symptoms usually last 5 to 7 days.

It is important to avoid dehydration, which is particularly important for children and the elderly when diarrhoea and vomiting occur.

Normally, an adult should drink about 2 to 3 litres of water a day. With diarrhoea and vomiting, this is even more. The fluid loss in such a condition must therefore be adequately replenished.

If your child refuses to take fluids during illness, is lethargic or sleepy, do not hesitate to contact your doctor. If necessary, he or she will order hospitalization and infusion of fluid replenishment.

Dysentery, rubella, dysentery

This is a highly contagious, infectious disease. It is caused by a bacterium in the genus Shigella and is especially prevalent in conditions with low levels of hygiene. That is why it is also called shigellosis or dirty hands disease.

On about the second or third day after infection, it manifests itself in fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea or even vomiting. Later, high fever, chills or shivering are also associated.

After a few hours, abdominal pain and diarrhoea occur, which may be quite frequent with mucus and blood.

You can read about how to avoid and treat this disease in the article Dysentery, rubella, dysentery or simply dirty hands disease

Diverticulitis - inflammation of the intestinal wall bulge

A bulge on the colon is referred to as diverticulosis. The formation of such pouches or bulges is most often found in the terminal region of the colon. It occurs mainly in people over the age of 60.

The cause of such a bowel bulge is not completely known. However, it is related to increased pressure caused by frequent and strenuous bowel movements or constipation.

Risk factors also include weakening of the intestinal wall, age over 40 years.

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A complication of this disease, when inflammation occurs, is diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is manifested by:

• pain and cramps in the abdomen
• difficulty defecating
• increased temperature
• nausea
• vomiting

In more serious cases, the inflamed diverticulum may rupture. Therefore, if you experience prolonged symptoms of diverticulitis, do not hesitate to contact your doctor.

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Inflammation of this part of the colon is better known as appendicitis.

The causes of the inflammation are varied. Most of the time, it is due to blockage of the risk area by too hard stools or foreign matter. Various parasites can also be responsible for the inflammation.

The position of the worm-like appendage or the presence of adhesions - that is, abnormal connections between tissues and organs - also have an influence on its occurrence.

Symptoms of worm infestation may be typical, but the symptoms are often atypical. The location of the worm infestation in the abdominal cavity is to some extent individual, and therefore the symptoms are variable.

Typical symptoms of worm infestation include:

• abdominal pain
• lack of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• temperature to fever

Various digestive problems such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, pallor, sweating, rapid breathing and pulse may also be associated.

Because of the frequent atypical symptoms of appendicitis, it is important to think about it with any abdominal pain.

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Inflammation of unknown cause

Such inflammations are referred to as idiopathic inflammations. Their cause is unknown and such a disease tends to be chronic, i.e. long-lasting or even incurable.

The best known idiopathic diseases are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

These inflammatory diseases of the intestinal system can manifest:

• abdominal pain - general, circumscribed, constant, crampy
• irregularity in bowel movements
• an admixture of blood or mucus in the stool
• diarrhoea
• nausea or vomiting
• general fatigue and weakness
• anaemia
• weight loss

Symptoms depend mainly on the site of the affection. In both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, periods of flare-ups may alternate with periods of quiescence when the patient experiences no discomfort.

The first symptoms of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease are often difficult to distinguish from other infectious inflammations.

Crohn's disease

In Crohn's disease, inflammation affects all layers of the intestinal wall and any part of the digestive tract can be affected.

Symptoms depend on the location of the inflammation. The disease is often not detected until a later stage.

Crohn's disease may manifest itself as:

• pain in the right side of the abdomen below the stomach
• diarrhoeal stools
• blood in the stool in about 40% of patients

Later, general symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, lack of appetite or weight loss are added.

It is most common in people aged 20-40 years.

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis mainly affects the lining of the colon. Inflammation occurs in the mucosal and submucosal layers.

Quite often there is also the presence of blood in the stool. In some cases, even mucus.

Stool passage is often accompanied by crampy abdominal pain. Diarrhoea also occurs at night. In more severe cases, there is also an elevated temperature, the patient is pale and malaise. Weight loss and dehydration are also easily observed.

The typical age is 30-40 years.

If these diseases are caught early, the symptoms can be kept under some control.

Patients should be educated, among other things, about the possible factors that adversely affect these diseases.

These include, for example, smoking, a diet rich in sugars, hormonal contraceptives or increased psychological stress.

Measures that minimise the triggering factors, together with dietary measures, make a significant contribution to managing the manifestations of these diseases.