Intestinal ischemia is a term used to describe a number of conditions that can develop when blood flow to the intestines is reduced as a result of a blood vessel, typically an artery, being blocked.
When intestinal ischemia is severe, the loss of blood flow to the intestines can harm intestinal tissue and possibly result in death. Intestinal ischemia can cause pain and make it difficult for the intestines to function normally.
SYMPTOMS OF INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
Although the signs and symptoms of intestinal ischemia can vary from person to person and can appear suddenly (acutely) or over time (chronically), there are some patterns that are universally recognized as suggesting intestinal ischemia.
SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
Acute intestinal ischemia is frequently accompanied by the following signs and symptoms:
- Any level of sudden, mild, moderate, or severe abdominal pain is possible.
- a pressing desire to urinate
- Frequent, forceful bowel movements
- Abdominal tenderness or distention
- Blood with stool
- Elderly people’s mental confusion
SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
Chronic intestinal ischemia may show these signs and symptoms:
- Constipation or abdominal cramps lasting one to three hours, typically beginning within 30 minutes of eating
- Throughout weeks or months, abdominal pain worsens.
- The fear of experiencing pain after eating
- Unintended weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Bloating
CAUSE OF ACUTE INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
When the major arteries supplying blood to our intestines become blocked or narrowed, it results in intestinal ischemia, which can have a number of different causes, such as blood clots, cholesterol buildup, or artery blockages. Vein blockages are less common.
There are several classifications of intestinal ischemia:
Colon ischemia (ischemic colitis)
The most frequent type of intestinal ischemia is caused by sluggish blood flow to the colon, which can be brought on by a variety of conditions, some of which can increase your risk of colon ischemia.
- dangerously low blood pressure (hypotension), which can be brought on by shock, major surgery, heart failure, or trauma.
- a blood clot in the colon’s supply artery
- intestines twisting (volvulus) or becoming trapped inside of a hernia
- excessive bowel enlargement as a result of a tumor or scar tissue-related bowel obstruction
- Additional medical conditions that impact your blood include lupus, sickle cell anemia, and vascular inflammation (vasculitis).
- Blood vessel-constricting drugs, such as those prescribed for migraine and heart disease
- birth control pills are examples of hormonal drugs.
- Cocaine or methamphetamine use
- exercise that is strenuous, like long distance running
Acute mesenteric ischemia
It has an abrupt onset, typically affects the small intestine, and may be brought on by:
- A blood clot (embolus) that dislodges from heartThis is the most common cause of acute mesenteric artery ischemia and is caused by congestive heart failure, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or a heart attack and travels through your bloodstream to block an artery, usually the superior mesenteric artery, which supplies oxygen-rich blood to your intestines.
- A blockage that develops within one of the main intestinal arteriesThis type of sudden ischemia tends to occur in people with chronic intestinal ischemia, and slows or stops blood flow, frequently as a result of fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) building up on the wall of an artery.
- Impaired blood flow resulting from low blood pressureThis type of acute mesenteric ischemia is frequently referred to as nonocclusive ischemia, which means that it’s not due to a blockage in the artery, shock, heart failure, certain medications, or chronic kidney failure. This is more common in people who have other serious illnesses and who have some degree of atherosclerosis.
Chronic mesenteric ischemia
One may not need treatment until at least two of the three major arteries supplying your intestines become significantly narrowed or completely blocked. Chronic mesenteric ischemia, also known as intestinal angina, is caused by the accumulation of fatty deposits on an artery wall (atherosclerosis).
Acute mesenteric ischemia, which occurs when a blood clot forms inside a diseased artery and suddenly blocks blood flow, is a potentially dangerous complication of chronic mesenteric ischemia.
Ischemia that occurs when blood can not leave intestines
Mesenteric venous thrombosis, which causes blood to back up in the intestines and cause swelling and bleeding, can occur when a blood clot forms in the vein that drains deoxygenated blood from our intestines.
- Chronic or acute pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis)
- Abdominal infection
- digestion-related cancers
- Diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis are gastrointestinal disorders
- Hypercoagulation disorders, or clotting disorders that are inherited, affect how likely our blood is to clot.
- medicines that can make you more likely to clot, like estrogen
- Abdominal injuries
RISK FACTORS
We may be more vulnerable to intestinal ischemia as a result of certain factors, such as:
- Buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries (atherosclerosis)-You may be at a higher risk of developing intestinal ischemia if you have previously experienced other atherosclerotic diseases that have reduced blood flow to the heart (coronary artery disease), the legs (peripheral vascular disease), or the arteries supplying our brains (carotid artery disease).
- Age: Ileal ischemia is more common in people over the age of 50.
- Smoking-Intestinal ischemia is more likely to occur when we smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products.
- We are more likely to experience intestinal ischemia if we have COPD, emphysema, or another lung condition brought on by smoking.
- A congestive heart failure diagnosis or an irregular heartbeat like atrial fibrillation increases our risk of intestinal ischemia.
- Medications-Birth control pills and drugs that dilate or constrict our blood vessels, such as some allergy and migraine drugs, are two examples of drugs that may increase our risk of intestinal ischemia.
- Blood-clotting problems-Your risk of intestinal ischemia may be increased by illnesses and conditions such as sickle cell anemia and the Factor V Leiden mutation, which both raise our risk of blood clots.
- Illegal drug use-Intestinal ischemia has been associated with cocaine and methamphetamine use.
COMPLICATIONS OF INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
Intestinal ischemia can have a number of complications, such as:
- Death of intestinal tissue-Intestinal tissue can become gangrenous if blood flow is suddenly and completely cut off to the intestine.
- Perforation-It is possible for the intestinal wall to become compromised, allowing the intestine’s contents to leak into the abdominal cavity and lead to a serious infection called peritonitis.
- Colon scarring or narrowing: Although the intestines can occasionally recover from ischemia, the body sometimes creates scar tissue as part of the healing process, which can narrow or block the intestines.
HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR INTESTINAL ISCHEMIA
Homeopathic medicine treats patients holistically in accordance with the law of individualization and depends on the full range of their symptoms as well as the underlying cause of their illness. A thorough case history is therefore necessary.China,Ipecac,Carboneium Sulph,Acid Sulph,Camphora,Lachesis,Colchicum,Cuprum Met,Causticum, Alumina
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