Motor function of the gastrointestinal tract. Smooth muscles of the digestive tract. Gastrointestinal sphincters Contractile activity of the intestines. Leave a review Cancel

27.02.2019

The term "atony" always refers to muscle contractions and means a loss of tone due to damage to the muscle itself. muscle tissue or nerve pathways. Intestinal atony is a state of cessation of motor function in the intestine.

Since motility ensures the movement of feces from the upper to the lower sections, the main manifestation of its absence is long-term painful constipation. How reversible intestinal damage depends on influencing factors.

Physiology of intestinal peristalsis

The intestinal wall has 2 muscle layers: the inner one with a circular direction of fibers, the outer one with a longitudinal direction. A feature of the colon is the plexus of longitudinal muscles into three bundles (ribbons).

Due to successive contractions, a wave of peristalsis is provided towards the rectum. Under normal conditions, up to 18 wave-like movements should form in a minute. This process ensures the movement of food masses for their sequential processing and digestion by enzymes.

At the same time, digestive juices from the common duct and bile enter the intestinal cavity. Sufficient motility allows for even distribution of bioactive substances along the intestine.

The main regulator of peristalsis is vegetative department nervous system. He does not submit to the will of the individual. Controls muscle contractions of the intestines with the help of acetylcholine, a mediator substance formed on the periphery of nerve endings (in receptors).

The adequacy of the movement of muscle fibers depends on the amount of acetylcholine: with a large accumulation, the action of sympathetic nerve impulses and a spasm occurs, if the acetylcholine content is too low, then the muscles relax to a state of intestinal atony.

The process is associated with the predominant influence of parasympathetic nerves. This type of nerve fiber includes the recurrent nerve (vagus), which is connected to all parts of the intestine.

In a healthy person, all nervous processes are in balance, this ensures good intestinal motility; regulation failure is caused by various reasons

The muscles of the intestinal wall are also characterized by reflex contraction under the influence of food located in the lumen and its chemical composition. Fiber enhances peristalsis; vitamins, on the contrary, reduce peristalsis - easily digestible high-calorie substances, fats, and carbohydrates. They are completely absorbed into the blood and have no effect on muscle wall.

The next most important stimulus is human motor activity. The work of skeletal muscles and abdominal muscles during walking and physical exertion has a massaging effect on the intestines by changing intra-abdominal pressure. Intestinal atony is caused by physical inactivity. Therefore, symptoms of chronic constipation are more typical for the population of developed countries, who prefer to use transport and sit on the couch.

Causes

Intestinal atony can occur:

in case of failure of the nervous regulatory processes responsible for peristalsis;
pathological condition of the intestinal wall (for example, inflammation, trauma, impaired blood supply), which leads to blocking of nerve endings and a decrease in acetylcholine levels;
in the absence (suppression) of reflex mechanisms of peristalsis.

Pathogenetic factors are influenced by:

frequent stressful situations, overload at work without sufficient rest;
poor nutrition - passion for fatty foods, pastries, cakes, sweets, and on the contrary - hungry low calorie diets, fast food snacks, little water consumption;
past infectious diseases accompanied by intestinal inflammation, the action of certain toxins not only disrupts the bacterial flora, but also directly affects the muscle layer;
postoperative scarring and adhesions as a complication of surgical interventions in abdominal cavity and pelvis;
chronic helminthiases localized in the intestines;
drinking alcohol and smoking, in people who start smoking, peristalsis usually increases, but then nicotine accumulates and exhibits toxic properties;
therapeutic use of drugs from the group of antispasmodics, analgesics, opiates, as well as narcotics disrupts the regulatory mechanism at the central level;
intestinal tumors, metastases from neighboring organs and tissues;
the presence of endocrine diseases, restructuring of the body during menopause, pregnancy;
lack of necessary motor activity in case of illness, in old age, due to habit.

The possibility of a hereditary nature of atonic constipation among members of the same family has been proven.

Symptoms

If defecation does not occur for two days or more, then an atonic state of the intestines can be suspected. Any stagnation of feces is accompanied by a disruption of beneficial microflora, the addition of pathogenic or the activity of opportunistic bacteria (Escherichia coli). This leads to inflammation in the large intestine, causing atonic colitis.

The pain varies in nature and is often intermittent

Patients complain:

for constant bloating, excessive gas formation in the intestines;
pain in the left or right lateral abdomen, feeling of heaviness;
weakness.

People who suffer from atonic constipation for a long time experience character changes. They are characterized by nervousness, weakened memory, and women by tearfulness. They usually don't sleep well. Because of poor absorption iron supplied with food, signs of anemia increase:

dizziness;
pallor;
headache;
are violated taste sensations, possible aversion to food.

The addition of the inflammatory process and injury to the intestinal mucosa by hard fecal stones is accompanied by the release of mucus and blood from the rectum ( anal fissures). And prolonged stress, sitting on the toilet leads to hemorrhoids. The patient experiences pain in the anus, and with inflammation the body temperature rises.

Consequences

Long-term condition untreated atony increases the risk of many diseases. These include:

malignant neoplasms abdominal cavity (intestines, liver, stomach, uterus and ovaries in women, prostate and bladder in men, pancreas);
hemorrhoidal bleeding;
Iron-deficiency anemia;
vitamin deficiency with impaired functioning of the gonads.

Slagging in the body causes a tendency to allergic reactions, itchy skin, and various rashes on the body.

Immunity decreases sharply, so patients often get sick respiratory infections, chronic cystitis, men - prostatitis, women - suffer from inflammation of the uterus and appendages.

Diagnostics

To prescribe optimal treatment, the doctor needs to identify the cause of intestinal atony, exclude a neoplasm, and examine the degree of disturbance of the digestive process. Help with this:

general clinical tests (in the blood, an increase in ESR and leukocytosis is confirmed, a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin indicates anemia);
stool analysis for scatology - reveals undigested pieces of food, mucus, occult blood, leukocytes;
check for helminthic infestation, the doctor will tell you the method.

Fibrogastroscopy (visual examination of the stomach) is carried out to identify the asymptomatic course of gastritis. Beginning atrophic gastritis is accompanied by hypotension of the stomach muscles, changes in the mucous membrane, and folding. Sigmoidoscopy allows you to examine the rectum, identify hemorrhoids and fissures.

The colonoscopy method makes it possible to examine the mucous membrane of the large intestine, identify lesions, polyps and other neoplasms, and signs of colitis

The most informative method is considered to be colonoscopy: under anesthesia, a probe with an optical camera at the end is inserted into the rectum. If necessary, material is collected for further cytological diagnostics.

Treatment of intestinal atony with diet

Prescribing therapy for atonic constipation begins with checking the patient’s nutrition, adjusting the menu, and prohibiting certain foods. The diet provides complete failure from high-calorie and refined foods. They are so processed that they do not pose any burden on intestinal motility.

And for atony, you need food that is reflexively capable of stimulating peristalsis, containing large amounts of fiber and dietary fiber. Therefore, vegetables, fruits, and sour milk products are recommended. The most beneficial are boiled beets and pumpkin, carrot and apple salad, greens, bread containing bran, oranges and peaches.

The fruits of prunes, apricots, and plums have a natural laxative effect.

Dried apricots, figs, seaweed- in any season. It is better not to eat fruits with astringent properties (pears, pomegranates, blueberries, dogwood, bird cherry). It is necessary to reduce the amount of vegetables in the diet that cause increased intestinal irritation and gas formation (cabbage, legumes, garlic and onions, radishes, radishes).

Mushroom dishes are difficult to digest and are not recommended for atonic constipation

dried rye bread;
stewed zucchini and eggplant with carrots, tomatoes;
porridge (buckwheat, barley, millet);
pasta from durum varieties wheat.

Dishes of lean meat and fish, soups, broths with croutons are shown.

The following are subject to exception:

all types of alcohol;
confectionery;
chocolate, candies and other sweets;
salo;
smoked and salted products;
fatty broths and seasonings;
everything fried;
strong coffee, tea, soda.

Physical activity and exercises

It is important for a city dweller to add physical activity and constantly, without laziness, control the work of the abdominal and pelvic muscles. To do this, you need to walk part of the way to work and back, and in the morning add the following exercises to the gymnastics complex to stimulate the intestines.

In the supine position - “bicycles”, “scissors” with straight, stretched legs at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor (the lower the better); pelvic lifts with emphasis on the feet and shoulder blades; twisting the body upward to the knees with the arms extended with the elbows to the sides and pressed to the temples.

People with spinal osteochondrosis can perform exercises in the supine position.

From a kneeling position, sit with your buttocks on the floor alternately to the right and left, while keeping your arms extended forward and your back straight. From focusing on your hands and knees, swing back and up, then move on to leisurely abductions of the bent leg to the side. Repeat on the other side.

Exercise "plank" - carried out in conclusion. You need to stand with emphasis on your palms, straightened arms and toes to start with for 30 seconds, then increase to a minute. At the same time, make sure that your stomach is tucked in and your torso is stretched out into an even string. Strengthens well abdominal Press, helps with intestinal atony.

Use of medications

The etiological treatment of intestinal atony is drugs that promote the accumulation of acetylcholine. Their most common use is short courses for young patients in the postoperative period.

Almost all drugs in the group have a negative effect on the heart rhythm, can cause bronchospasm, tremor and convulsions, and suppress the production of platelets and leukocytes. This results in limited use.

Anticholinesterase drugs include:

Itomed,
Prozerin,
Motilium,
Montana,
Coordinax,
Peristyl,
Kalimin 60 N.

More often, gastroenterologists recommend that if you have weak intestinal motility, you can manage with diet and laxatives. It is important to provide for the body’s ability to get used to laxatives, so they have to be changed, used different shapes(suppositories, drops, capsules, tablets). The dosage is selected individually. Reception is carried out at night. Typically, bowel cleansing occurs within 8–10 hours.

A negative consequence includes the syndrome “ lazy bowel”, when atony worsens and it becomes impossible to achieve independent bowel movements. It is also necessary to monitor the bacterial flora and supplement laxative intake with probiotics.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

The use of physiotherapeutic methods for the treatment of intestinal atony is indicated if any connection with neoplasms is excluded during diagnosis and is absent as a sign of bleeding. The procedures are carried out in courses of 10–15 twice a year, this helps reduce the intestines’ dependence on laxatives.

The doctor’s arsenal includes the following methods of intestinal stimulation:

patients with pronounced signs of neurosis are helped by showers (circular and Charcot) with water temperature at room level;
elderly patients can undergo electrophoresis on the stomach with a solution of Proserin or calcium chloride;
Diadynamic currents on the abdominal muscles are suitable for middle-aged and young people.

In sanatorium conditions, courses of subaquatic baths from natural sources are recommended; they not only flush out toxins from the intestines, but also activate metabolism in tissues, since they contain biologically active substances and salts, and underwater massage helps restore your own peristalsis.

Enemas in the treatment of atonic intestines

With the help of enemas, it is possible to deliver the solution as deeply as possible with medicine, a decoction to the source of inflammation in the intestines, if it causes atony. Strict contraindications apply to frequent large-volume cleansing enemas for constipation of unknown etiology. Injecting water may increase spasm and pain.

The possibility of partial intestinal obstruction and adhesions must be taken into account. Do not use any force to introduce fluid.

For cleansing, use an Esmarch mug with a liquid volume of up to two liters at a temperature of 34–35 degrees. The patient lies on his side and lifts the upper buttock with his hand. The end lubricated with cream or oil is inserted into the anus. If pain appears against the background of fluid intake, the enema is removed immediately. The patient is advised to lie on his back for several minutes. Evacuation occurs immediately.

Preliminary cleansing is an indispensable condition for treating the intestines with nutritious enemas. For them, use about a glass of warm decoction of chamomile, calendula, add vegetable or sea buckthorn oil. They are placed with special rubber bulbs. The end should be washed well with soap.

A hypertensive enema is performed to stimulate intestinal peristalsis. All you need to do is dissolve it in water. room temperature a tablespoon of salt per glass. It should not be given to patients with exacerbation of hemorrhoids.

Folk remedies

Traditional recipes for feeding a patient with intestinal atony do not differ from the recommendations of nutritionists. For example, eat beetroot salad every day, seasoned with vegetable oil, dried apricots, berries and in a decoction of prunes. You can add one feature.

The beets do not need to be cooked until completely soft, they should be undercooked, boil for no longer than 30 minutes

It is good to brew herbal remedies overnight in a thermos. The method allows you to maintain a stable temperature for a long time and maximize the extraction of elements beneficial to the intestines. Thus, decoctions are prepared from buckthorn, string, flax seeds, leaves and burdock root.

It is recommended to drink throughout the day green tea with oregano. It is very useful to prepare honey with aloe. It is only important to cut off leaves that are 2–3 years old and first keep them in the refrigerator for at least five days. Then cut off the shell, grind the leaves in a meat grinder, add honey and lightly heat the mixture until completely dissolved.

Patients with intestinal atony should take a spoonful of honey in the morning on an empty stomach with a glass of water.

An effective means counts alcohol tincture rhubarb root, calamus and buckwheat leaves. The crushed plants are placed in glass jar, pour vodka or diluted alcohol (1:10 by volume) and leave to infuse for 2 weeks. Then you can take a teaspoon twice a day before meals.

A natural prevention of intestinal atony is balanced diet, absence of bad habits, feasible sports activities. Fulfilling these conditions in young and middle age helps to maintain vigor and health for a long time.

For intestinal atony characteristic feature is constipation, which indicates a number of pathological conditions or is a consequence of the effect on the human body of certain negative factors. Intestinal atony occurs as a consequence of loss of intestinal muscle tone. With intestinal atony, both spasms and noticeable muscle relaxation can be observed. Problems like this very often arise chronic nature and continue for the patient for many years.

Types of constipation

Atonic constipation occurs as a consequence of intestinal atony. However, there are other types of constipation, in which intestinal atony is also often a concomitant condition. The most common is nutritional constipation, which occurs as a result of an incorrect approach to nutrition. In addition, there are psychogenic, neurogenic, endocrine, toxic constipation, as well as constipation resulting from damage to the anorectal area and weakening of the muscles.

Constipation also occurs as a consequence of exposure to mechanical obstacles that interfere with the movement of contents in the intestines. These could be polyps or tumors, adhesions, or a number of abnormalities in the development of the large intestine.

Consequences of constipation

In people who constantly suffer from constipation due to intestinal atony, toxins often accumulate in the intestinal lumen. Sometimes coprolites (so-called fecal stones), a suspension containing toxins and harmful microorganisms, and mucus are formed there.

Liquid, as well as vitamins and microelements, are actively absorbed in the large intestine. Consequently, very often a person suffering from constipation feels the progression of internal intoxication, which occurs as a result of harmful substances entering the blood. As a result, the intestinal mucosa becomes inflamed, the state of the microflora is disrupted, and the general condition of the body gradually worsens. This is fraught with allergic reactions and immune disorders. With a high degree of intestinal slagging, the risk of developing cancer increases.

Symptoms and causes of intestinal atony

The main symptom of intestinal atony is constipation. We are talking about atonic constipation when stool is delayed for forty-eight hours or more. In many cases, with atonic constipation, a person may experience abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort in the abdomen. As a result, a person’s general health deteriorates, weakness appears, and complexion changes. In patients whose constipation lasts more than three days, blood pressure and temperature may rise. They feel a strong heaviness in their stomach and even lose interest in food.

As a rule, most often atonic constipation, which occurs due to weakness of the muscles of the pelvis and abdominal wall, as well as due to weak peristalsis, passes without pain. Such phenomena are very often consequences of pregnancy and childbirth. Sometimes intestinal atony develops in women during menopause, with obesity, emphysema, hypokinesia, and also due to prolonged bed rest.

Moreover, the reasons atonic constipation there may be eating disorders, fasting, physical inactivity, constant stress and unusual conditions that prevent defecation, diseases of the anorectal area, endocrine diseases, infections. Constipation may also occur after taking certain medications. In children, intestinal atony may be a consequence of the presence of intestinal developmental abnormalities.

Diagnosis of intestinal atony

In the process of diagnosing the disease, it is very important to find the causes of intestinal dysfunction. Consequently, the doctor must conduct a survey of the patient, finding out the characteristics of his lifestyle, nutrition, and heredity. In addition, a stool analysis is performed, bacteriological culture feces If necessary, the patient is also prescribed a colonoscopy to identify pathologies of the large intestine. It is very important to consult a gastroenterologist and proctologist in time, because uncontrolled use of laxatives can aggravate the disease.

Treatment of intestinal atony

To treat intestinal atony, it is necessary, first of all, to follow a diet by developing a special diet. It is important to eat meals in small portions.

It is important to include foods that have a scraping effect in your diet. These are fermented milk products, kvass, and natural juices. In addition, it is very important to avoid eating foods that cause intestinal constipation. These are smoked products, hard-boiled eggs, pears and other products.

For people who suffer from atonic constipation, experts also recommend consuming foods that contain sufficient amounts of fat and fiber. These foods increase intestinal motility and help change the chemistry in the large intestine. It is often recommended to use figs, prunes, decoction of flax seeds, and seaweed as laxatives. Decoctions of various herbs are also very useful. For intestinal atony, it is also useful to drink grapefruit juice, infusion of buckthorn bark, decoction of calamus root, decoction of string herb, tea of thyme herb, infusion of dill seeds.

In the process of treating intestinal atony, it is important to follow a clear schedule for eating and bowel movements. There are also a number of exercises that can help you have easier and more regular bowel movements. A special therapeutic abdominal massage is also used.

If atonic constipation continues long time, it is possible to use medications for treatment. For pain, antispasmodics are prescribed. Often, patients who suffer from prolonged and painful constipation are prescribed laxatives. It is important that treatment begins with the most harmless drugs that do not irritate the intestinal walls.

Particularly effective for intestinal atony are agents that stimulate intestinal motility, for example, prozerin. Rectal medications are also used, which have the ability to enhance the reflex to defecate. These are glycerin suppositories, as well as suppositories with cocoa butter and belladonna. Microenemas with vegetable oils are also used for treatment.

If atonic constipation continues for a long time, it is necessary to consult a specialist and undergo an examination by a proctologist, who may also detect concomitant pathologies.

Prevention of intestinal atony

A very important preventive measure is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, moderate physical activity, and perform sets of exercises that strengthen the abdominal muscles. It is important to regulate your diet by excluding harmful products. Eating fermented milk products, as well as vegetables and fruits, which contain a lot of fiber, will improve your general condition and stimulate intestinal motility.

Education: Graduated from Rivne State Basic Medical College with a degree in Pharmacy. Graduated from Vinnitsa State Medical University named after. M.I. Pirogov and internship at his base.

Work experience: From 2003 to 2013 – worked as a pharmacist and manager of a pharmacy kiosk. She was awarded diplomas and decorations for many years of conscientious work. Articles on medical topics were published in local publications (newspapers) and on various Internet portals.

My grandmother I remember recommending yogurt everywhere, probably for everything) But it’s disgusting to me, it’s just terrible.

It also happens, the intestines are a capricious thing, just expect surprises. Go to the pharmacy, maybe they can advise you.

I also have problems with stool. Of course, I understand that it is my own fault. I didn’t want to do this a couple of times, all because of work, well, I won’t leave for a second, and then - hello. What can you do to save yourself? I've heard about an enema, but somehow I wouldn't like it.

A 2 month old baby has trouble going to the toilet, what should we do?

it helps, thanks a lot for the advice!

Thanks for the very useful information.

Very useful tips

Tatyana: Natalya, in what form do you drink aloe?

Alex: Great drug before type I think I've come across Feresol and warts shrink from it.

Olga: Does Vinpocytine help? My friends took it on the advice of a doctor and did nothing at all.

Evgeniya: Suppositories for adhesions help a lot, they’re cool. I was prescribed exactly this “line”, it was.

All materials presented on the site are for reference and informational purposes only and cannot be considered a treatment method prescribed by a doctor or sufficient advice.

What is intestinal atony - its symptoms and treatment

Intestinal atony is a decrease in intestinal peristalsis and loss of tone. The walls of the intestine consist of smooth muscles, the contractions of which ensure the movement of the bolus of food from the upper to the lower sections of the intestine. Normally, the intestines make up to 18 movements per minute. Weakening of peristalsis leads to disruption of the digestive tract, the appearance of persistent constipation, which can haunt the patient for many years and become chronic.

However, this pathological condition reversible, if the provoking factors are eliminated, intestinal motility resumes. What reasons can cause the development of the disease, how to deal with this condition and what drugs should be taken for intestinal atony?

What causes intestinal atony?

It has been proven that intestinal atony is most often diagnosed in developed countries, where a large percentage of the population leads an insufficiently active lifestyle and eats high-calorie refined foods. The development of a pathological condition of the intestine can be provoked by many reasons:

Many unfavorable factors can affect a person’s well-being, affect his health and significantly worsen his quality of life. Therefore, it is so important not to let the disease progress, to be more attentive to your health and to pay attention to any unfavorable symptoms.

It is important for everyone to know how intestinal atony manifests itself in order to promptly seek treatment. medical care, rather than enduring problems with bowel movements for years.

Symptoms of atony

The main symptom of intestinal atony is constipation. Atonic constipation is spoken of in cases where stool retention lasts more than two days. This condition is accompanied by a violation of the microflora, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, deterioration of health and is accompanied by:

Abdominal pain and bloating
Flatulence
Weakness, pallor of the skin
Irritability, insomnia
The development of anemia due to the body's poor absorption of iron
Formation of fecal stones (coprolites). Long stay stool in the intestines leads to the fact that they become dense and rocky, since the liquid from them is completely absorbed. Fecal stones can injure the rectum during defecation and cause the formation of an anal fissure.

If the patient for a long time suffers from persistent constipation, he has increasing symptoms of intoxication of the body due to the entry into the blood of harmful substances and toxins secreted by feces and the development of putrefactive processes in the intestines. Patients' complexion changes, their blood pressure increases, and their body temperature rises.

Patients feel heaviness in the abdomen, nausea, persistent disgust to food. This condition leads to a significant decrease in immunity and the occurrence of allergic reactions. High levels of slagging in the intestines are fraught with serious consequences and can become a trigger for the development of cancer.

Many patients do not consider this problem to be serious and believe that it can be easily dealt with at home with the help of enemas or laxatives. This leads to the fact that soon no laxatives or cleansing enemas help, since they do not eliminate the main cause of stool retention. To find out, you need to undergo a high-quality examination and be treated by competent specialists who can cope with the problem.

Diagnostics

A patient with suspected intestinal atony needs to see a gastroenterologist and proctologist.

Diagnosis of the disease is not difficult; a preliminary diagnosis is made based on the patient’s complaints, taking into account the main symptoms. IN in this case it is important to discover the cause leading to the development of a pathological condition of the intestine. Only in this case will the treatment of atony be effective. To clarify the diagnosis, laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods are used.

The specialist will ask you to submit stool for bacteriological analysis and refer you to a diagnostic procedure - colonoscopy, during which the intestines are examined along its entire length and, if necessary, a piece of tissue is taken for histological analysis (biopsy).

Treatment of intestinal atony

Treatment of intestinal atony should be comprehensive and include not only conservative drug therapy, but also dietary adjustments together with special exercises.

Drug therapy involves the use of laxatives, cleansing enemas and drugs that increase the tone of the muscles of the intestinal wall and improve its peristalsis. For intestinal atony the following is used:

Pancreatin and its analogs. This is an enzyme preparation that helps improve food digestion.
Espumisan. A remedy that prevents intestinal bloating by reducing the formation of gases.
Metoclopramide (tablets and injections). The drug has an antiemetic effect and enhances intestinal motility.
Amiridine. The drug improves the transmission of neuromuscular impulses, thereby enhancing contractile function intestines. Use only under medical supervision.
Regulax. Natural herbal preparation based on senna herb. It has a mild laxative effect, helping to remove feces from the intestines.
Prozerin. The drug has a pronounced effect, enhances gastrointestinal motility, facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses and restores neuromuscular conductivity. For use only in hospital settings.

An important role in the treatment of intestinal atony is played by following recommendations for proper nutrition and lifestyle. This is, first of all, giving up bad habits, an active, mobile lifestyle, and following a meal schedule. It is best to take food at certain hours, avoiding long breaks.

You need to eat in small portions, every 2-3 hours, at least five times a day. This will make it easier to prevent overeating and achieve better absorption of food. Doctors recommend that each patient follow a special diet.

Diet and proper nutrition for intestinal atony

A diet for intestinal atony involves avoiding high-calorie and refined foods and increasing the diet of foods containing dietary fiber and fiber. Vegetables, fruits, and fermented milk drinks will help eliminate constipation. It is very useful to eat boiled beets, carrots, oranges, pumpkin, greens, peaches, and bran bread.

At night you can drink a tablespoon of vegetable oil. In addition, you can take two tablespoons of wheat bran daily before bed; they are excellent for cleansing the intestines. From natural laxatives good action provide:

Try to avoid fruits that have an astringent effect. These are pomegranates, dogwood, pears, blueberries, bird cherry.

Limit the consumption of vegetables that can cause irritation of the mucous membranes and excessive gas formation. These are cabbage, mushrooms, legumes, garlic, onions, radishes, radishes. Daily consumption of kefir, yogurt, and yogurt, especially those enriched with bifidobacteria, will help improve intestinal function. Stale bread, vegetable soups, sausages, vegetable stew from tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, herbs. Porridge (buckwheat, millet, barley) and pasta are recommended for consumption. You can eat lean boiled meat and fish, low-fat broths.

It is necessary to exclude flour and confectionery products, sweets, spicy, salty, fried foods, smoked meats and lard from the diet. Rich broths, rice, legumes, mushrooms, chocolate, strong tea and coffee are removed from the menu.

You need to drink enough liquid per day (1.5-2 liters), this will promote better bowel movements. In addition to the usual drinking water You can drink juices, compotes, kvass, green and fruit tea, infusions of medicinal herbs. In the morning before breakfast, it is advisable to drink a glass of still mineral water, this will enhance intestinal motility.

Try to properly heat treat foods. It is better to boil, steam, stew or bake them. It is better to exclude fried foods from the diet. Prepared food should be served warm (not hot or cold) so as not to irritate the stomach.

Treatment of atony with folk remedies

The simplest and accessible means To normalize digestion and eliminate constipation, take vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon three times a day. Beet salad seasoned with vegetable oil perfectly cleanses the intestines.

It is better to eat it at lunchtime and in the evening. Dried apricots and prunes help well; they are soaked in hot water overnight and then eaten during the day. In addition, treatment with medicinal herbs is popular.

Buckthorn infusion. To prepare it, two tablespoons of buckthorn bark are poured into 200 ml. boiling water and place in a thermos for two hours. The finished infusion is filtered and drunk 1/3 glass twice a day.
A decoction of the string. Two tablespoons of dry herb are poured into 500 ml cold water, put on fire, bring to a boil. Then the fire is turned off, the broth is left under the closed lid for half an hour. The finished medicine is filtered and taken 200 ml twice a day.
Flaxseed decoction. To prepare it, pour 1 tablespoon of flax seeds into 200 ml of hot water, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. The container with the broth is wrapped and left for one hour. Take 3 tablespoons, twice a day, without filtering.
Treatment with honey and aloe. Take the fleshy leaves of aloe, peel them from the skin and thorns and grind them thoroughly. One and a half glasses of honey are heated in a saucepan, and care must be taken that the honey is not heated above 40°C, otherwise its medicinal properties will disappear. Add crushed plant leaves to the heated mass and mix everything thoroughly. The resulting product is left to infuse for 24 hours. Before use, you will need to slightly warm the mixture of honey and aloe. Take one tablespoon one hour before breakfast. At the end of the course, a seven-day break is taken and the treatment is repeated.
Treatment with leaf tea. Large-leaf green tea is used to prepare the product. Tea leaves should be ground in a coffee grinder and taken half a dessert spoon four times a day before meals.
Rhubarb and calamus tincture. A very effective remedy for chronic constipation and intestinal atony. To prepare the tincture, take equal parts of rhubarb root, calamus and gentian leaves. All components are crushed and filled with alcohol (70%) in a ratio of 1:10. Leave in a dark place for two weeks. Strain the finished tincture and drink 1 teaspoon twice a day before meals.
Burdock decoction. This decoction has a good laxative effect and is effective for persistent constipation. Two tablespoons of crushed dry burdock leaves are poured into 500 ml of boiling water and left overnight in a thermos. The finished broth should be filtered and taken one glass in the morning and evening before meals.
Tea with oregano. For intestinal atony, tea with the addition of oregano herb is effective. To prepare it, pour one tablespoon of oregano leaves into a glass of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. It is recommended to drink a cup of this tea in the morning before meals and in the evening; it will not only have a strengthening effect on the intestinal muscles, but will also improve its functioning, relieve spasms and calm the nerves.
A dish of beans and pumpkin. A tasty and easy-to-prepare vegetable dish will help you quickly cope with constipation and cleanse your intestines. To prepare it, you need to divide the pumpkin into four parts, take one part, cut off the skin from it, and cut the remaining pulp into large cubes. Then head onions cut and combine with pumpkin. The resulting mixture is stewed in a deep frying pan with the addition of vegetable oil. While the pumpkin is stewing, boil a glass of beans and add it to the pumpkin. All ingredients are mixed and simmered until soft. At the end of cooking, you can lightly salt the finished dish.

All these recipes are quite effective, but before using them you should definitely consult with your doctor and use folk remedies under his supervision.

Exercises and physical therapy

Physical exercises of a general strengthening nature play an important role in the complex treatment of intestinal atony. Exercises for intestinal atony are aimed at strengthening and developing muscles pelvic floor and abdominals.

The therapeutic complex in combination with self-massage of the abdomen and proper breathing allows you to cope with atonic constipation and enhance intestinal motility. Classes are held at a calm, moderate pace, with a rhythmic and gradually accelerating range of movements. The duration of each lesson is minutes.

Let's look at the basic simple exercises to stimulate the intestines. Each of them must be performed once.

Lying on your back, raise your legs and perform movements like when riding a bicycle. This allows you to strengthen the abdominal muscles, thighs, normalizes and accelerates blood flow in the abdominal cavity.
I lie on my back, and without lifting my shoulder girdle from the floor, they try to reach the floor with their leg bent at the knee, first on the right side of the body, then on the left. Exercise strengthens the muscles of the lower back and back, stimulates the intestines.
From a position lying on your back, wrap your arms around your legs, bent at the knees and press them tightly to your stomach. Remain in this position for several seconds, then return to the starting position.
Take a kneeling position, resting on your elbows and palms, with your head bowed. Straightening your arms, squat on your buttocks, on the right and left sides alternately. Exercise helps increase intestinal motility and release of gases.
From the starting position, standing on the reindeer, alternately straighten and stretch your legs back, while simultaneously arching your back. Exercise strengthens the muscles of the buttocks and back and promotes the outflow of blood from the pelvic organs.

It is advisable to combine such exercises with self-massage of the abdomen. When massaging the abdomen, two main techniques are used:

Hands begin to deeply massage the abdominal muscles upward from the right inguinal fold. Having reached the navel, they continue to massage the stomach, lowering it to the left groin.
Massage the lower abdomen, grabbing the skin folds with both hands, right and left, and moving them up and down. In this case, the right hand moves down and the left hand moves up, and vice versa.

Prevention of intestinal atony

Therapeutic exercise is the optimal type of physical activity. But you shouldn’t limit yourself to that alone. You need to be active and healthy image life, move more, take long walks, play sports, run, swim.

It is very important to regulate and balance your diet, eliminate harmful, high-calorie foods, and increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. This will help relieve constipation and improve intestinal motility.

Thank you for the article. My mother has intestinal atony after a stroke. Now I know how to help.

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Intestinal atony

The term “atony” always refers to muscle contractions and means a loss of tone due to damage to the muscle tissue itself or the nerve pathways. Intestinal atony is a state of cessation of motor function in the intestine.

Physiology of intestinal peristalsis

At the same time, digestive juices from the common duct and bile enter the intestinal cavity. Sufficient motility allows for even distribution of bioactive substances along the intestine.

The main regulator of peristalsis is the autonomic nervous system. He does not submit to the will of the individual. Controls muscle contractions of the intestines with the help of acetylcholine, a mediator substance formed on the periphery of nerve endings (in receptors).

The adequacy of the movement of muscle fibers depends on the amount of acetylcholine: with a large accumulation, the action of sympathetic nerve impulses occurs and a spasm occurs; if the acetylcholine content is too low, the muscles relax to a state of intestinal atony.

The process is associated with the predominant influence of parasympathetic nerves. This type of nerve fiber includes the recurrent nerve (vagus), which is connected to all parts of the intestine.

In a healthy person, all nervous processes are in balance, this ensures good intestinal motility; regulation failure is caused by various reasons

Causes

Intestinal atony can occur:

in case of failure of the nervous regulatory processes responsible for peristalsis;
pathological condition of the intestinal wall (for example, inflammation, trauma, impaired blood supply), which leads to blocking of nerve endings and a decrease in acetylcholine levels;
in the absence (suppression) of reflex mechanisms of peristalsis.

Pathogenetic factors are influenced by:

frequent stressful situations, overload at work without sufficient rest;
poor nutrition - passion for fatty dishes, pastries, cakes, sweets, and on the contrary - hungry low-calorie diets, fast food snacks, little water consumption;
past infectious diseases accompanied by intestinal inflammation, the action of certain toxins not only disrupts the bacterial flora, but also directly affects the muscle layer;
postoperative scarring and adhesions as a complication of surgical interventions in the abdominal cavity and pelvis;
chronic helminthiases localized in the intestines;
drinking alcohol and smoking, in people who start smoking, peristalsis usually increases, but then nicotine accumulates and exhibits toxic properties;
therapeutic use of drugs from the group of antispasmodics, analgesics, opiates, as well as narcotics disrupts the regulatory mechanism at the central level;
intestinal tumors, metastases from neighboring organs and tissues;
the presence of endocrine diseases, restructuring of the body during menopause, pregnancy;
lack of necessary physical activity in case of illness, in old age, due to habit.

Symptoms

If defecation does not occur for two days or more, then an atonic state of the intestines can be suspected. Any stagnation of feces is accompanied by a disruption of beneficial microflora, the addition of pathogenic or the activity of opportunistic bacteria (Escherichia coli). This leads to inflammation in the large intestine, causing atonic colitis.

The pain varies in nature and is often intermittent

for constant bloating, excessive gas formation in the intestines;
pain in the left or right lateral abdomen, feeling of heaviness;
weakness.

People who suffer from atonic constipation for a long time experience character changes. They are characterized by nervousness, weakened memory, and women by tearfulness. They usually don't sleep well. Due to poor absorption of dietary iron, signs of anemia increase:

dizziness;
pallor;
headache;
taste sensations are disturbed, aversion to food is possible.

The addition of the inflammatory process and injury to the intestinal mucosa by hard fecal stones is accompanied by the release of mucus and blood from the rectum (anal fissures). And prolonged stress, sitting on the toilet leads to hemorrhoids. The patient experiences pain in the anus, and with inflammation the body temperature rises.

Consequences

A prolonged state of atony without treatment increases the risk of many diseases. These include:

malignant neoplasms of the abdominal cavity (intestines, liver, stomach, uterus and ovaries in women, prostate and bladder in men, pancreas);
hemorrhoidal bleeding;
Iron-deficiency anemia;
vitamin deficiency with impaired functioning of the gonads.

Immunity sharply decreases, so patients often suffer from respiratory infections, chronic cystitis, men - prostatitis, women - suffer from inflammation of the uterus and appendages.

Diagnostics

To prescribe optimal treatment, the doctor needs to identify the cause of intestinal atony, exclude a neoplasm, and examine the degree of disturbance of the digestive process. Help with this:

general clinical tests (in the blood, an increase in ESR and leukocytosis confirms the inflammatory process in the intestines, a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin indicates anemia);
stool analysis for scatology - reveals undigested pieces of food, mucus, occult blood, leukocytes;
check for helminthic infestation, the doctor will tell you the method.

The colonoscopy method makes it possible to examine the mucous membrane of the large intestine, identify lesions, polyps and other neoplasms, and signs of colitis

Treatment of intestinal atony with diet

Prescribing therapy for atonic constipation begins with checking the patient’s nutrition, adjusting the menu, and prohibiting certain foods. The diet involves a complete rejection of high-calorie and refined foods. They are so processed that they do not pose any burden on intestinal motility.

Dried apricots, figs, seaweed - at any time of the year. It is better not to eat fruits with astringent properties (pears, pomegranates, blueberries, dogwood, bird cherry). It is necessary to reduce the amount of vegetables in the diet that cause increased intestinal irritation and gas formation (cabbage, legumes, garlic and onions, radishes, radishes).

Mushroom dishes are difficult to digest and are not recommended for atonic constipation

dried rye bread;
stewed zucchini and eggplant with carrots, tomatoes;
porridge (buckwheat, barley, millet);
pasta made from durum wheat.

Dishes of lean meat and fish, soups, broths with croutons are shown.

all types of alcohol;
confectionery;
chocolate, candies and other sweets;
salo;
smoked and salted products;
fatty broths and seasonings;
everything fried;
strong coffee, tea, soda.