MotionPeristalsis

After absorption into the small intestinal mucosa, the nutrients are transferred into the bloodstream. Through the vascular network (capillaries) in the villi of the small intestine, the sugars, the amino acids (from peptides) and the short to medium-chain fatty acids are absorbed into the blood vessels and are passed on to the liver via the portal vein. The long-chain fatty acids, the cholesterol ethers and phosphilipids, are incorporated into large protein-fat molecules (chylomicrons) and are transported via the lymphatic vessel in the villi of the small intestine, initially past the liver into the bloodstream.

The intestine is also important for the absorption of water. A total of about 9 liters of fluid is absorbed in one day. About 1.5 liters of this comes from the liquid you drink and the rest is made up of the fluids (secretions) that the gastrointestinal tract produces.

These include saliva, gastric juice, small intestine juice, pancreatic juice and bile. After absorption into the mucous membrane of the small intestine, the nutrients are passed on into the bloodstream. Through the vascular network (capillaries) in the villi of the small intestine, the sugars, the amino acids (from peptides) and the short to medium-chain fatty acids are absorbed into the blood vessels and passed on to the liver via the portal vein.

The long-chain fatty acids, the cholesterol ethers and phosphilipids, are incorporated into large protein-fat molecules (chylomicrons) and are transported via the lymphatic vessel in the villi of the small intestine, first past the liver into the bloodstream. The intestine is also important for the absorption of water. A total of about 9 liters of fluid is absorbed in one day. About 1.5 liters of this comes from the liquid you drink and the rest is made up of the fluids (secretions) that the gastrointestinal tract produces. These include saliva, gastric juice, small intestine juice, pancreatic juice and bile.

Small intestine pain

Pain in the small intestine is not easy to define. There are many different clinical pictures that can cause pain in the small intestine. The spectrum here ranges from simple constipation or gastrointestinal inflammation to more severe chronic inflammation, intestinal ulcers or mesenteric infarction.

Many of these diseases also cause relatively unspecific pain in the lower abdomen, which on the one hand cannot be easily distinguished from one another and on the other hand also resemble pain patterns of other diseased organs such as the pancreas, gall bladder, peritoneum or colon. Pain in the small intestine manifests itself with different “pain qualities” depending on the clinical picture.These range from colicky (strong, wave-like) pain in the small bowel blockage (illeus) to dull, long-lasting pain and acute, stabbing pain in an ulcer or acute inflammation. In principle, the more acute and severe the pain, the more serious the disease.

It should also be taken into account whether, in addition to the pain, a so-called defensive tension occurs, which in this case means a reflective and only partially arbitrary hardening of the abdominal wall that can be triggered by touch. Pain in the small intestine region must always be seen in the context of already known pre-existing conditions. For example, pain in acute inflammation of the small intestine after gastrointestinal viruses or food poisoning can be “normal” as long as it does not last longer than four days.

On the other hand, a mesenteric artery infarction with subsequent reduced blood supply to the affected section of the small intestine, for example, manifests itself with short, severe pain which then improves and almost disappears while the disease takes on threatening proportions. The inflammatory disease of the small intestine is called enteritis. Due to the close positional relationship, the stomach and colon can also be inflamed, these forms of disease are then called gastroenteritis (stomach) or enterocolitis (colon).

Enteritis is classified according to various criteria: 1. is the enteritis infectious or non-infectious 2. is the inflammation acute or chronic? 3. what caused the inflammation? Infectious enteritis can be caused by bacteria (e.g.

Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Clostridia), viruses (e.g. Rotavirus, Noro-Virus, Adenovirus) or parasites (e.g. amoeba, worms, fungi). Non-infectious enteritis is the term used to describe inflammation of the small intestine that is of drug origin (cyclosporins, cytostatics), is caused by radiotherapy, is the result of reduced blood supply in the relevant section, is caused by toxins, is caused by allergies, such as food allergies or after operations, or is idiopathic (without known cause), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Enteritides manifest themselves predominantly through diarrhea, which is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Other, more unspecific symptoms are intestinal cramps, abdominal pain and fever. In the course of the disease, increased water excretion and reduced absorption lead to signs of dehydration and disturbances of the electrolyte balance such as dizziness, tiredness, listlessness and calf cramps.

The therapy of enteritis depends on its triggers. Most enteritis patients show a spontaneous healing process with diarrhea subsiding within 3-7 days and nausea and vomiting subsiding within 1-3 days. In these cases, treatment is symptom-oriented and according to the severity of the illness, with medication for nausea, diarrhea and electrolyte derailment where necessary.

In case of more persistent inflammations, a detailed patient consultation is important to clarify the above mentioned triggers. Furthermore, the pathogen is detected via stool sample. The therapy is then adapted to the results of the tests. Bacterial and parasitic enteritis for example are treated with antibiotics if the symptoms persist.