- Symptoms of inflammation in the intestine
- What treatment is indicated
- Warning signs to return to the doctor
Enteritis is an inflammation of the small intestine that can get worse and affect the stomach, causing gastroenteritis, or the large intestine, leading to the onset of colitis.
The causes of enteritis can be the consumption of food or drinks contaminated with bacteria, such as Salmonella , viruses or parasites; some medications like ibuprofen or naproxen; cocaine use; radiotherapy or autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease.
Enteritis can be classified according to its types:
- Chronic or acute enteritis: depending on how long the inflammation and symptoms persist in the individual; Viral or bacterial enteritis: depending on the microorganism causing the disease; Catarrhal enteritis: in addition to inflammation of the intestine, it has a large production of yellowish mucus that is excreted along with diarrhea.
Some risk factors, such as recent trips to places with poor sanitation, drinking untreated and contaminated water, being in contact with individuals who have had a recent history of diarrhea, increase the chances of getting enteritis.
Symptoms of inflammation in the intestine
Symptoms of enteritis are:
- Diarrhea; Loss of appetite; Stomach pain and colic; Nausea and vomiting; Pain when defecating; Blood and mucus in the stool; Headache.
In the presence of these symptoms, the individual should consult the doctor to make the diagnosis of enteritis and start treatment, avoiding complications.
The doctor does not always order tests because symptoms alone may be sufficient to reach the diagnosis, but in certain cases, the tests that can be requested are stool tests, to identify the type of microorganism involved, colonoscopy and, more rarely, imaging exams such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
What treatment is indicated
The treatment of enteritis consists of rest and a diet based on banana, rice, applesauce and toast for 2 days. It is also recommended to ingest large amounts of fluids such as water or tea, or homemade serum, to prevent dehydration of the body. People with Crohn's disease may need to take anti-inflammatory drugs. In the most severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary to hydrate the body intravenously.
Enteritis usually subsides after 5 or 8 days and treatment usually involves drinking large amounts of water to hydrate the body.
In bacterial enteritis, antibiotics such as Amoxicillin can be taken to eliminate the bacteria that cause the infection. Antidiarrheal remedies, such as Diasec or Imosec, should be avoided, as they can delay the exit of the microorganism that causes the infection of the intestinal tract.
See what you can eat during treatment to recover faster:
Warning signs to return to the doctor
You should go back to the doctor if you experience symptoms like:
- Dehydration, such as sunken eyes, decreased urine, crying without tears; If the diarrhea does not disappear in 3-4 days; In case of fever above 38.3ºC; If there is blood in the stool.
In these situations, the doctor may recommend or replace the antibiotic used, and hospitalization may be necessary to combat dehydration, which is more common in babies and the elderly.
