Enteritis is an inflammatory disease of the intestine or, more narrowly, the small intestine. It is also called intestinal infection, inflammatory or infectious bowel disease, and enteritis. Often not only the small intestine is affected, but also the stomach or the colon. This is then referred to as gastroenteritis or enterocolitis. Children are particularly likely to suffer from gastroenteritis.
Viruses are usually the cause
About one-third of all infectious diarrheal diseases are caused by viruses. The most common pathogens are rotaviruses, adenoviruses, and Norwalk viruses. Echoviruses, influenza viruses, and coxsackieviruses are also common. The viruses invade intestinal cells (enterocytes) and cause an inflammatory response in the body in which human immune cells destroy or affect the function of affected enterocytes.
Causes and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease can have several causes. It may be caused by:
- Microbial (bacterial, viral, by fungi or protozoa),
- Chemical (toxic),
- Actinic (due to irradiation),
- Allergic or
- Autoaggressive (reaction of the immune system against own body cells).
The most typical symptom of intestinal inflammation is diarrhea, usually combined with nausea and vomiting. In addition, there may also be intestinal cramps, abdominal pain, as well as fever. As fluid and salt loss increases, signs of dehydration (water deprivation) and shifts in acid-base balance occur. These include fatigue, listlessness, calf cramps, and even circulatory shock. In addition to clear clinical symptoms and indications that may result from a stay abroad, the detection of pathogens in the stool is particularly important if bacterial or parasitic causes are suspected. If viruses are suspected, pathogen detection is not performed, as this has no consequences for therapy. Especially in children, viruses are often considered to be the trigger of intestinal inflammation. In addition, information on the timing and frequency of bowel movements, stool volume, color and consistency of the stool, and any medications taken can also be informative.
Course of intestinal inflammation
If diarrhea persists for a prolonged period after successful therapy, further investigations should be performed after ruling out a drug-related cause for the diarrhea. The presence of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) should then be investigated, as should the influence of a hormonal cause. Such a hormonal cause could be, for example, an overactive thyroid gland. In addition, a benign or malignant tumor (colon cancer) can also cause diarrhea over a long period of time. Especially in adults, most enteritis heals without consequences after a few days. In children, complications develop more quickly, but should not have long-term consequences if treated well. Tropical returnees must expect greater persistence of the disease, depending on the pathogen (especially amoebae and lamblia). Immunocompromised individuals, such as AIDS patients, may also experience prolonged diarrhea that is difficult to control because of the wide spectrum of pathogens.
Complications of enteritis
Infants and young children are particularly at high risk for dehydration during enteritis because of their high body water content. Even after a relatively short period of violent diarrhea, disturbances of the circulation and blood composition may become apparent through fatigue and increasing loss of consciousness. In this case, there should be no hesitation in going to the doctor in time.
Possible consequences of intestinal inflammation
In children and adults, in the case of prolonged diarrhea and inadequate fluid intake, damage to the kidneys, such as acute renal failure, can occur in addition to the increasing risk of collapse. Thickening of the blood also carries the risk of clot formation (thrombosis) with subsequent carryover (embolization) and vascular occlusion. Invasive pathogens can cause sepsis (blood poisoning) with very high fever. As a result, germs enter various organs and can form abscesses. Some pathogens cause an autoimmune reaction in the body, in which the body’s own cells are attacked by the misguided immune system.The skin, eyes, joints and heart are usually affected.
