Malabsorption

Disturbance of absorption in intestines in medicine is called a sprue. This disease arises owing to changes of digestive and transport function of a small intestine which provoke disbolism. The disease is characterized by a number of clinical manifestations, such as weight loss, diarrhea, polyvitaminic insufficiency etc. Malabsorption happens inborn or acquired as result of various diseases of digestive tract (cirrhosis, a syndrome of a short gut, chronic pancreatitis and others).

Sprue, symptoms

Malabsorption possesses rather specific symptoms by which it is possible to determine existence of this disease at the person. Among them are the most widespread:

• Diarrhea;
• Steatorrhea;
• Astenovegetativny syndrome;
• Various disturbances owing to a vitamin deficiency.

At the patients suffering from malabsorption disturbances in work of intestines are noted, swellings, rumbling and pain around a stomach develop. Pains are observed, as a rule, in an upper part and can give to a waist. The quantity a calla at this disease considerably increases, and it gets a watery consistence, and also sometimes a greasy luster. Such phenomenon is called a steatorrhea.

Manifestation of an astenovegetativny syndrome at malabsorption is characterized by disturbances in a nervous system of the sick person. Bystry fatigue, a condition of apathy and the general weakness of an organism are the main signs of a syndrome caused by shortage of the substances necessary for the correct functioning of a nervous system.

The sprue is also shown by pathological processes of integuments which are provoked by a lack of vitamins and substances. So, similar disturbances can lead to eczema, dryness and a nevus pigmentosus on skin, to dermatitis and a hair loss, fragility and darkening of nails. Besides, the lack of specific vitamin or substance can become the reason of a separate problem:

• Shortage of vitamin K quite often leads to hypodermic hemorrhages and emergence of red points on the surface of skin;
• The lack of vitamin E negatively influences a nervous system, provoking various neuropathy;
• Deficit of vitamin A provokes disorder of twilight sight;
• Shortage of vitamin D promotes development of muscular pains and developing of osteoporosis;
• The lowered protein content at patients leads to accumulation of liquid in an abdominal cavity;
• Deficit of zinc and copper causes emergence of rash on skin.

Also one of the most important symptoms of malabsorption can call rapid loss of weight. Besides, at patients sexual functions as this syndrome leads to decrease in sexual desire and even impotence are sometimes broken. At women quite often at a sprue disturbances of a menstrual cycle, and also emergence of an amenorrhea are observed.

Galaktozny malabsorption

Speaking about such pathology as a sprue, it is necessary to allocate separately its look called by glyukozo-galaktozny malabsorption. This rare genetic disease which is descended and characterized by disturbance of process of absorption of monosaccharides in digestive tract. The course of a disease is caused by a mutation in structure of a gene which is responsible for synthesis of transport protein. It also moves glucose and a galactose through walls of a small intestine.

Glucosic галактозная malabsorption at children leads to disturbance of tissue respiration in this connection the delay of physical and intellectual development is observed. It is caused by the fact that erythrocytes lose ability to transfer oxygen and concentration of glucose in blood of the child decreases, and galactose metabolites gradually collect.

Their concentration in heart, a brain, kidneys, lens leads to damage of these bodies. Malabsorption at children can provoke cirrhosis if the metabolite collects in this body or in a brain.

Galaktozny malabsorption can be shown also by accumulation of metabolites pleated of intestines and in kidneys that interferes with intake of amino acids in a blood stream. When mucous a small intestine it is irritated with monosaccharides, the amount of liquid in it increases, therefore, process of nutritive absorption is at a loss. All these phenomena lead to development of such characteristic symptom of galaktozny malabsorption as diarrhea.

Malabsorption treatment

Treatment of malabsorption assumes first of all elimination of a disease which served as the reason of a syndrome and the dysbacteriosis accompanying it. Besides, it is directed to correction of a diet by means of diets, and also elimination of electrolytic disturbances and motor changes of the alimentary system, correction of pathologies of protein metabolism and a vitamin deficiency.

Thus, treatment of malabsorption can be divided into three main types:

• Dietotherapy;
• Medicamentous method of treatment;
• Surgical method.

The dietotherapy at malabsorption first of all assumes consumption of products with the high content of protein. Fats in a diet of the sick person, especially if there is such symptom of a disease as a steatorrhea, have to be cut almost by half. Quite often for malabsorption treatment doctors recommend use of various special mixes, vitamins and microelements.

The medicamentous way of treatment of a disease in turn includes:

• The drugs adjusting a lack of vitamins and minerals;
• Antibacterial drugs;
• Antiacid therapy;
• Hormonal therapy;
• Medicines of holeretichesky influence;
• Antidiarrheal and anti-secretory medicines;
• Pancreatic enzymes.

Surgical intervention at malabsorption is required in especially hard cases and is directed to elimination of a disease which provoked development of this syndrome in the patient.