Diagnosis
Modern medicine has many possibilities to diagnose an inflammation of the intestine. First, the attending physician will conduct a detailed interview (anamnesis) of the patient. In this context, for example, the type, duration and first occurrence of the symptoms will be asked.
After the physical examination, in which the abdomen in particular is palpated and listened to, further diagnostic means may be considered under certain circumstances. In many cases, however, anamnesis and examination are sufficient to narrow down the cause of the complaints. This is because inflammations of the intestine are usually harmless gastrointestinal infections, so that no further measures need to be taken.
However, if the cause is unclear, the complaints do not disappear or even get worse, the doctor often arranges for a blood sample to be taken and a stool sample to be taken. For example, the body’s defensive reactions to a pathogen can be detected, but specific inflammation parameters can also be determined. For some diseases, for example when certain bacteria or parasites have triggered the inflammation of the intestine, cultures can be grown from the stool sample: For this purpose, a fine smear of the sample material is spread onto a nutrient medium containing all the nutrients necessary for bacterial growth.
Under optimal conditions bacteria grow and form colonies visible to the naked eye. In addition, the doctor can perform an ultrasound of the abdomen. During this painless examination, ultrasound waves are used to make the individual structures of the abdominal cavity visible.
If the cause of the symptoms is still unclear, a colonoscopy is often used. A thin tube with a small camera is inserted rectally under a weak anaesthetic. Due to the light sedation, the patient sleeps during the examination and does not feel any pain.
This allows the examiner to assess the condition of the bowel and easily detect any inflammation. Especially in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, characteristic changes of the bowel wall can be observed. Tiny tissue samples are often taken during the examination (biopsy).
Under certain circumstances, the pathological laboratory can then determine the type of inflammation present. In all cases of intestinal inflammation, regardless of the cause, sufficient fluid and electrolyte should be given. This is because our body can lose large amounts of fluid and electrolytes in a short time through frequent vomiting or recurrent diarrhoea.
Salt sticks, rusk, lukewarm tea and water are best suited for this. If, however, those affected suffer from very severe symptoms, it may be necessary to give fluid through the veins (infusion). In addition, a variety of medicines for nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are available.
Care should be taken, however, with medicines for diarrhoea, as they hinder the body in its natural defence reaction against the diarrhoea pathogens, and in the worst case are even harmful. In the case of severe bacterial inflammation, antibiotics must be used. The therapy of a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease) is much more complicated. For example, cortisone preparations are used in acute “relapses”. In addition, patients take drugs that inhibit the body’s own immune system, as this plays a major role in the development of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
