Intestinal meteorism: etiology, treatment and prevention

Meteorism is a disease characterized by a diffuse overflow of the small and large intestine with gases. This is due to the intensification of fermentation processes and the difficult elimination of them in connection with violations of motor and secretory function of the intestine. Most often, flatulence of the intestine occurs with inflammation of the large and small intestine, as well as with heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver and increased pressure in the portal vein. The main sources of gas formation in the intestine are

- gases falling with swallowed air;

- gases that form during digestion;

- gases diffusing from the bloodstream.

Intestinal meteorism: the etiology of the disease

The etiology of the disease is associated with the use of foods that are easily digested. Development of flatulence is promoted by such diseases as gastritis, catarrhal enteritis, colitis, pancreatitis, enterocolitis, dysbiosis. The meteorism of the intestine manifests itself in the form Belching, abdominal distention, discomfort in the abdominal cavity.

The problem of bloating concerns not only adults, but also children, especially newborns. Therefore almost every mother faced such a problem as flatulence in newborns. During swelling, the child blushes, frowns, very often bends the legs and cries. Often, this phenomenon is observed at the end of feeding or after it. Flatulence in a newborn is most often detected in infants up to three months old. The main causes of this ailment are the imperfection of the digestive system of the newborn and the ill-considered diet of the mother. Therefore, each breastfeeding mother should be very careful about the choice of the products she consumes, since the milk is transported with substances that can induce colic in the child.

Because the Pathogenesis of the disease is a spasm of the intestines, which complicates the release of gases, treatment of meteorism is aimed at removing the main signs of the disease. For this, different groups of enterosorbents are used, which actively adsorb gases and toxic compounds. Such therapy is aimed at improving the interaction of biologically active substances of drugs with intestinal enterocytes.

In practice, enterosorbents of animal, vegetable or synthetic origin (enterosgel, phosphalugel, polyphepan, kaopectat, attapulgite, activated carbon) are used.

Recently, bowel flatulence is treated with the use of silicones (dimethicone, simethicone or espumizan). These compounds are obtained from minerals (silicon), which are inert, from the chemical point of view, surface-active substances. Thanks to silicones, the surface tension of the resulting gas bubbles is reduced, that is, they are effective defoamers. Silicones have practically no side effects, they can be prescribed during pregnancy and lactation.

To optimize the enzymatic processes, enzyme therapy (enzymes of lipolytic and proteolytic action) is prescribed. Often physicians prefer to use festal, panzinorm, pepfiz, etc. for this purpose. To treat meteorism, folk medicine (fennel, dill, cumin, chamomile) can be used, but they are less effective than modern drugs.

Probiotics inhibit the development of pathogenic forms of microorganisms and contribute to the development of lacto- and bifidobacteria.

For the prevention of flatulence, you should eat well, thoroughly chew food, minimize the amount of food that can easily be fermented (beans, cabbage, peaches, apples, carbonated drinks, cottage cheese, ice cream). It is advisable to annually sanitize the oral cavity, especially those who have dentures.