Spasms - involuntary contraction of the muscles - often appear cyclically, i.e. last from several seconds to several minutes, after which they subside and repeat again after a while. Spasms can be in various organs, and their symptoms are somewhat different.
One of the most painful spasms is a spasm in the smooth muscles of the intestine. And although these spasms are often short-lived and do not pose a particular danger, one should not leave them without attention. Constant, relapsing intestinal spasms can indicate serious enough pathologies, and therefore are a signal for an urgent visit to the gastroenterologist.
How do intestinal spasms manifest?
Spasms of the intestine, in the first place, are expressed by suddenly appearing stabbing or aching pains in the abdominal region, which are of a paroxysmal nature. Other symptoms are:
- feeling of swelling and heaviness in the abdomen;
- frequent urge to empty the intestines;
- constipation or diarrhea .
The appearance of these symptoms is due to the fact that intestinal spasms often provoke violations of the motor and contractile functions of the digestive system. Discoordination of muscles with spasm leads to a delay and stagnation of the contents of the thick and small intestine. The occurrence of pains is explained by the fact that the intestinal wall contains many receptors, which, for various dysfunctions, send signals to the brain.
Also, with spasm of the intestine, the following symptoms may appear:
- headache;
- general malaise;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- increased body temperature;
- sleep disorders, etc.
Causes of spasms in the intestine
Most often, the appearance of intestinal spasms is associated with functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be caused by an unhealthy way of life, as well as long-lasting and leading to disruption of the functioning of the nervous system by stresses (spasm of the intestine on the nerves).
The reasons for the disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, which lead to the emergence of spasms, there are many:
- overgrowth of the intestinal wall;
- mismatch in the work of the autonomic nervous system, which determines the motility of the digestive system;
- infectious processes;
- inaccuracies in nutrition (use of irritating intestinal mucosa products, overeating, fast food, etc.);
- poisoning with toxic or poisonous substances;
- taking medicines;
- helminthic invasions, etc.
These factors can not only lead to malfunctions in the functioning of the digestive system, but also serve the beginning of the development of diseases such as:
- cholecystitis;
- peptic ulcer;
- dyskinesia biliary tract and many others.
How to relieve spasm of the intestine?
Treatment of intestinal spasm should begin with the elucidation of the cause that causes it, and the establishment of an accurate diagnosis. Usually,
- refusal from the use of irritating substances (coffee, alcoholic drinks, etc.);
- food intake in small portions;
- minimum consumption of coarse fibers, some raw vegetables and fruits, carbonated drinks.
Minimization of stressful situations is also important.
Further recommendations are selected individually, depending on the diagnosis.
Independently to stop the spasm you can take medications-spasmalgics (for example, funds based on hyoscine butyl bromide). But in no case it is impossible to take analgesics with spasm of the intestine, because their use can help lubricate the clinical picture of the disease and make it difficult to diagnose.