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Proctitis – symptoms and treatment

Proctitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum, which has several reasons for development. Moreover, their diversity prevents accurately predict the appearance of the disease. The crux of the problem lies in the very term of the disease, which is from the Greek language and translates as "anus". Proctitis may be disease independent, and take place against the background of the existing problems.

Causes

There are several main causes of this disease:

  • Often proctitis is a manifestation of various diseases of the colon, such as:

    • Venereal disease can also cause inflammation in the rectum. Capable agents of gonorrhea and syphilis. The risk of proctitis increased, if you've had unprotected anal sex.
    • The use of certain antibiotics, especially if the course of treatment lasts a long time, can lead to inflammatory process.
    • Radiation therapy also acts as a risk factor and in some cases affects the rectum.
    • Acute intestinal infections, in turn, can cause proctitis. But in this case, the infectious agent must act herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, Campylobacter.
    • In rare cases, inflammation of the rectum is a consequence of the application of enemas with aggressive and irritating the mucous membrane solutions.

    Symptoms

    There are several types of proctitis. In accordance with the type and different symptoms. The nature of the disease the following types of this disease:

    Acute proctitis. This form is quite rare and is characterized by the following symptoms:

    • Always have to be sudden onset and rapid progression of the disease.
    • The patient feels a false urge to defecate (called tenesmus). And this happens against the background of constipation.
    • Feeling a strong burning sensation in the rectum and anus do not leave the patient.
    • There is an increase in body temperature.
    • Possible chills.

    • You may feel a feeling of heaviness in the rectal area.
    • In fecal mass may show mucus.

    The acute form tolerated by patients quite hard to force unpleasant sensations that occur in the rectal area.

    Chronic proctitis, in contrast to acute is very common. But the symptoms is either missing completely, or weak expressed in the form of itching and burning in the anus. Patients quite often ignore these symptoms and not seek medical attention. Exacerbation of chronic proctitis can occur in the background eating spicy food. Then patients can see mucus in the stool and felt a sharp burning sensation in the rectum.

    It is also worth mentioning and ulcerative proctitis. Its mainsymptoms are:

    • On the mucous membrane of the rectum formed erosions and ulcers.
    • On the surface of faeces can be observed a drop of blood. The blood may be bright red and may be dark or take the form of a bloody clot.
    • Before the process of bowel movements might appear bloody-mucous discharge. The same selection appear in about the urge, the occurrence of which, as is typical for this form of the disease.

    Important! Burning sensation in the anus, so typical in acute and chronic forms of proctitis, in this case, completely absent.

    Radiation proctitis is the result of x-ray exposure of the patient, who was undergoing treatment for prostate tumors, or tumors of the female genital organs. His symptoms are:

    • Frequent false desires.
    • Burning sensation in the rectum.
    • Spotting.

    Most often, radiation proctitis occurs immediately after a course of radiation, and only a few months after him.

    Diagnosis

    For accurate diagnosis it is necessary to conduct the following studies:

    • Rectoscopy.
    • Smear from the rectal wall and its laboratory investigation.
    • Providence biopsy of the mucosa.

    Such thorough study is necessary in order not to confuse the proctitis with the same ulcerative colitis, symptoms of which may be to a large extent similar to the symptoms of inflammation of the rectum. In some cases, proctitis mistaken for pathological conditions such as colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, rectal polyps. And to avoid raising the wrong diagnosis, you need to hold all of the above studies.

    Treatment

    For effective treatment it is necessary to apply an integrated approach that includes:

    • A course of antibiotics. When selecting antibacterial drugs are necessarily taken into account the results of planting feces.
    • Strict diet.
    • Enema with medicinal solutions.

    In the case of treatment of ulcerative proctitis prescribe corticosteroids.

    With timely start of treatment maintained favorable prognosis for recovery.