Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestines that often causes severe diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. It is usually caused by a bacterial infection, but can also be caused by viral and parasitic infestations.
What is dysentery?
Dysentery is an inflammatory disease of the intestine, more specifically the colon. It causes severe diarrhea containing blood and mucus, also fever, stomach pain and compulsive bowel movements. The inflammation can be caused by numerous infections, both bacterial and viral, or by parasitic infestation. Pathogens reach the colon through the digestive tract and are ingested orally through contaminated food or fluid. Each pathogen has different effects on the body, but all affect and damage the inner walls of the intestine, leading to an immune system response. These defensive reactions of the body result in cramps, elevated temperature, and great loss of fluids through the stool. It is not uncommon for travelers to become infected with the pathogens at a tropical vacation destination by drinking contaminated water or eating fruit.
Causes
The most common cause of dysentery is bacterial infection. Depending on the region, other strains of bacteria that can cause dysentery are prevalent. Shigellosis, for example, is very common in Latin America, and Campylobacter bacteria are common in Southeast Asia. Much less commonly, dysentery is caused by chemicals or parasites such as worms. The bacteria attack the inner lining of the intestine, causing the unpleasant symptoms. Both types of infection are spread by ingestion of feces found in tainted water or food. Especially in regions of great poverty and overpopulation, where hygiene standards are extremely low, people are at increased risk of becoming infected with the pathogens and contracting dysentery.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
Dysentery is usually associated with very unpleasant symptoms, all of which have a very negative impact on the quality of life of the affected person and also significantly complicate everyday life. In the first place, those affected suffer from very severe diarrhea. Because of this, there are often deficiency symptoms or even dehydration if the affected person does not take in enough fluid again. Likewise, dysentery changes the color of the stool to a white and slimy consistency. Some people may also experience a panic attack due to this change. Likewise, those affected often suffer from pain in the abdomen and stomach, which not infrequently leads to a loss of appetite and weight loss. Nausea and vomiting may also occur due to dysentery, again negatively affecting the quality of life of the affected person. In some cases, the disease also leads to fever and generally to permanent fatigue or exhaustion. If dysentery is not treated, it can also spread to the internal organs and cause severe damage there as well. This also reduces the life expectancy of the affected person.
Diagnosis and course
The diagnosis is carried out quickly and on the spot by a physical examination and some questions about the symptoms. This allows treatment to be initiated directly. Infected individuals may have severe symptoms, mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. In extreme cases, people can lose up to a liter of fluid an hour. More commonly, people will complain of dizziness and stomach pain, as well as severe and foul-smelling diarrhea mixed with blood and mucus, and pain. Vomiting and weight loss can often be noted as well, supporting the diagnosis. In rare cases, dysentery and its infection can affect other areas of the body, such as vital organs, including the liver, brain and lungs. The mouth, face and lips are most likely dry from severe fluid loss. A blood or stool test should eventually determine which pathogen caused the dysentery.
Complications
In dysentery, patients suffer from severe discomfort in the stomach and intestines. Usually, the patient is unable to consume food and fluids in the usual way, resulting in underweight and dehydration. The symptoms are very similar to those of a typical gastrointestinal infection.Patients complain of vomiting and diarrhea. Severe fever also occurs, which can greatly reduce the patient’s quality of life. It is not uncommon for the diarrhea to be bloody, which can lead to a panic attack in some people. Patients suffer from a general feeling of illness and are unable to engage in physical activity due to the dysentery. Usually, the patient requires several days of bed rest to successfully cure the illness. In most cases, no direct treatment is necessary; often the illness disappears on its own after a day without further or serious complications. Otherwise, antibiotics can also be used. In this case, no further complications occur either. Life expectancy is not reduced due to dysentery.
When should you go to the doctor?
If watery diarrhea suddenly develops, it may be dysentery. A visit to the doctor is advisable if the symptoms have not subsided after three to five days at the latest. If the watery diarrhea turns into bloody or mucopurulent diarrhea, it is likely to be severe. The disease should then be promptly clarified and treated by a doctor. Patients who also suffer from fever, abdominal cramps and colic should go directly to the nearest hospital. This is especially true if signs of dehydration are noticed. Complicated symptoms such as arthritic joint changes, kidney failure or inflammation of the urethra and conjunctiva should be treated immediately by an emergency physician. First aid may also need to be administered. In the case of such a severe course, a longer hospital stay is necessary. Depending on whether long-term damage has already occurred, further examinations must then be carried out. To avoid this, the following applies: go to the doctor immediately if there are signs of dysentery. With early treatment, complications are extremely unlikely.
Treatment and therapy
Dysentery is treated promptly by WHO drinking solution. If this therapy is unsuccessful because the patient vomits too much or loses fluid through the intestines, fluid intake can also be given intravenously. Ideally, any drug therapy should wait until it has been found out with which pathogen the patient has become infected. If this analysis is not possible, dual therapy must be used, both against parasites and with antibiotics against the bacteria. In cases of mild shigellosis, the physician may not prescribe any medication, only plenty of fluid intake and bed rest. Dysentery caused by parasites must be controlled with a dual drug strategy. Ten days of therapy with metronidazole is followed by a course of diloxanide furoate, a special agent against this parasitic infestation. Among indigenous people of tropical areas around the world, the leaves of the kapok tree are used to relieve symptoms. However, relying on this treatment alone is not recommended.
Outlook and prognosis
The prognosis of dysentery is good when prompt medical care is sought. Within a few days, with the right medications and specialist treatment, there is improvement in the health condition of this rarely occurring disease. Recovery is usually achieved after about 1 ½ to 2 weeks. The patient usually needs some more time to be completely free of symptoms. In mild cases, no drug treatment is necessary for dysentery. With a stable and healthy defense system, the organism can achieve a cure on its own. The germs die and are subsequently transported out of the body. If the symptoms persist for several days or increase in intensity, complications and further illnesses may occur. In severe cases, there is a risk of dehydration of the organism and thus dehydration. This is a life-threatening condition of the body that constitutes an emergency. Organ failure may occur and subsequently the patient may die. People with a weakened immune system have a less favorable prognosis overall. This is especially true if they do not seek treatment. The bacteria responsible for dysentery spread in the organism within a short time and weaken the body. Functional disorders and breakdowns may occur.
Prevention
To prevent dysentery, particularly hygienic advice should be followed. For example, hands should be washed thoroughly with soap after each trip to the toilet. Regular hand washing is always recommended. Hands should also be cleaned before contact with food, small children or when feeding elderly people. Close contact with infected people should be avoided if possible. Sharing washing and hygiene products should also be avoided.
Aftercare
Because dysentery is a complicated and, above all, serious disease, there are very few options for aftercare. In this regard, first and foremost, a rapid diagnosis and treatment of this disease must be carried out so that no further complications occur in the intestine of the affected person. Here, in any case, early detection has a very positive effect on the further course and can prevent some complaints. In most cases, dysentery can be treated relatively well with the help of medication or by changing the diet. There are no particular complications if the patient follows the doctor’s instructions. The medication should be taken regularly and correctly, and care should be taken to ensure that the dosage is correct. If there are any uncertainties or questions, a doctor must be consulted. Furthermore, in the case of dysentery, regular examinations of the intestine are also useful in order to detect and remove an ulcer or tumor quickly and early. Whether dysentery has a negative effect on the life expectancy of the affected person cannot be predicted in general.
Here’s what you can do yourself
The options available to sufferers to help their bodies survive dysentery depend on the severity of the illness. Using home remedies alone is usually not recommended, as the pathogens should be killed by pharmaceuticals. Otherwise, the duration of dysentery will be greatly prolonged. Affected persons should in any case adopt a gentle behavior, interrupted only by frequent visits to the toilet. For example, paths to the toilet should be kept clear. For persons with limited mobility, diapers or bed pads may be necessary. Drinking plenty of fluids is important, in addition to drug therapy. This will replenish the body with lost fluids. An electrolyte-containing diet (rice, bananas, apples, vegetable broths, etc.) can be forced by the affected person, but will be necessary in severe cases of dysentery as an inpatient and intravenously. Affected persons should boil out or dispose of washing and hygiene articles used during the period of their illness after they have healed. This serves to protect other people and from possible re-infection with the germs. Kapok (the fiber of the kapok tree) can also be used as a support. This has an antibacterial effect, but in no way replaces antibiotics.