Intestinal diseases are very common diseases in the society. The intestines, which form the longest part of the digestive system, can be disturbed due to various reasons. Although intestinal disorders mainly affect older people, intestinal problems can be seen in all age groups. So what are the common intestinal diseases and their symptoms? What are the names of intestinal diseases? Which doctor looks at the intestines? Is there a cure for intestinal diseases? You can find the answers to all these questions in the rest of the article.
What are Intestinal Diseases?
Intestinal problems may occur due to the functional failure of the intestine or a structural disorder in the intestine. In functional problems, when the intestine is examined with various diagnostic methods, no structural problems are encountered. So the appearance of the intestine is normal. In functional problems, the main problem is related to the movements of the intestine. Most of the intestinal disorders in the community are of functional origin. Intestinal diseases such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel disease, food poisoning; belongs to the functional group. Structural intestinal diseases, on the other hand, are the formation of abnormal appearances in various parts of the intestine. Damages in a wide range, from erosion of the upper layer of the intestines, called the mucosa, to the formation of diverticula in the intestine, cause structural problems. Diseases such as colitis, anal fissure, and hemorrhoids are considered structural disorders. is an inconvenience. You may also need to go to the toilet frequently with diarrhea. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and weight loss may accompany. Diarrhea, which lasts for a few days and goes away on its own, usually does not cause any significant problems in adults. However, it should be kept in mind that diarrhea that continues for a longer period of time may be a symptom that develops due to causes such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease.
Constipation: Constipation, difficult stool, 3 times a week It is a disorder characterized by stool removal less than once and a decrease in bowel movements. The most common cause of constipation is the lack of enough fiber in the diet. Consuming fibrous foods, exercising regularly, eliminating the need for the toilet without delay when you are stuck in the toilet are very effective in both improving and preventing constipation. It should be kept in mind that when constipation continues for a long time, as in diarrhea, this may occur due to another underlying cause. Long-term constipation can cause problems such as anal fissures and hemorrhoids. It also occurs as a result of too much contraction. Certain foods, medications, emotional stress can trigger irritable bowel disease. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, excessive gas, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, changes in bowel habits (going to the toilet more often, more watery stools, etc.) can be seen in irritable bowel disease. In the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, methods such as avoiding foods that trigger the disease, reducing caffeine consumption, consuming fibrous foods, and drinking plenty of fluids are effective. In addition to these, drugs can also be used in the treatment of irritable bowel disease.
Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids occur as a result of dilation of blood vessels in the anal canal. Hemorrhoids can be divided into two main groups, internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids are caused by swelling of the blood vessels inside the anal canal. These blood vessels, which are swollen as a result of stretching during stool, may bleed, go down and hang from the anus. In the treatment of internal hemorrhoids, in addition to lifestyle changes to prevent constipation, ligation or surgical intervention can be performed to eliminate the problem in blood vessels. External hemorrhoids are enlarged veins on the outside of the anus, just under the skin. Sometimes the stretching of stool causes these vessels to crack and a blood clot to form in the area. The area where the clot formed becomes very painful and can disturb the person. External hemorrhoid treatment is the removal of the clot and hemorrhoids under local anesthesia.
Anal Fissure: Anal fissure is the presence of cracks and openings in the skin in the area of the anal opening. Anal fissures are usually caused by too hard or excessively watery stool. Fissures in the anal opening give rise to the muscles that control the passage of stool. These muscles become irritated when they come into contact with stool or air. As a result, symptoms such as severe pain, spasm, and bleeding occur as a result of bowel movements. The treatment of anal fissure consists of consuming fibrous foods and using pain relievers. Taking a sitz bath in warm water can also be good for anal fissures. If these methods are insufficient in the treatment, surgical intervention may be required.
Colitis: Colitis is a general name given to the table that occurs as a result of inflammation in the intestines. Inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, infection, radiation exposure can cause the development of colitis. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. In these diseases, an inflammation begins in the intestinal mucosa and this may spread to the inner layers of the intestine. Again, inflammation in the intestine can affect a larger part of the intestine over time. Symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding are among the most common symptoms in inflammatory bowel diseases as in other colitis. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system attacks his own intestinal cells as a result of gluten consumption. As gluten consumption continues, intestinal damage becomes more severe and nutrient absorption mechanisms in the person's intestines may be impaired. This situation causes problems in the nutrition of celiac patients. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion; It is one of the most common symptoms in celiac disease. Diverticulum is common especially in advanced ages. Most diverticula do not cause any problems. However, in cases such as inflammation of the diverticulum, bleeding, obstruction in the intestine, a picture called diverticulitis develops. Treatment of diverticulitis depends on the severity of the disease. done accordingly. While it is sometimes sufficient to relieve constipation in the treatment, in some cases, starting antibiotics and even surgical intervention may be on the agenda.
Colon Polyps and Cancer: Colon polyps; They are small finger-like projections that form into the large intestine. While these protrusions usually do not cause a problem in the polyp stage, they can turn into colon cancer in the future. For this reason, in the event that polyps are noticed, the necessary tests from the cancer vaccine should be performed and if necessary, the polyps should be removed from the colon. Colon cancer is a very common type of cancer in the community. If it is noticed in the late period, the success of the treatment decreases. For this reason, it is important to have colon cancer screenings regularly and to detect a possible cancer early. For colon cancer screening, every individual over the age of 50 should have a stool occult blood test every two years and a colonoscopy every ten years. Individuals with normal screening results are waiting for the next control time; It would be beneficial for people with suspicious findings in the screening results to apply to a health institution without losing time for further tests.
What are the Symptoms of Intestinal Diseases?
Intestinal Diseases Although the symptoms seen in diseases vary according to the disease, they basically contain similar symptoms. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea; It is among the most common symptoms of intestinal diseases. Seeing blood in the stool, fever and weight loss are also conditions that can be seen in people with intestinal problems. It is recommended that people who show signs of intestinal problems do not ignore this situation and apply to a health center for necessary controls.
Which Department deals with Intestinal Diseases?
"Which doctor to go to for intestinal problems?" The question is often asked. The department of intestinal diseases is gastroenterology. Gastroenterology diagnoses and treats diseases related to the digestive system and liver. Tests such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, barium tests, intestinal or stomach biopsy are applied in this section. The surgical treatment of diseases such as colon cancer, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis is performed by the general surgery department. bowel problems, It is a condition that both negatively affects health and causes serious problems in daily life. Therefore, people who have intestinal problems should not neglect these problems and should definitely seek the opinion of a specialist. Even if people over the age of 50 do not have any intestinal complaints, they should definitely have colon cancer screening tests and follow the results.
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