Common anorectal and colonic diseases? Treatment regimen and care

The 3 most common anorectal and colonic diseases

Anorectal and colon diseases are the result of lesions inside the gastrointestinal. Depending on the level of damage, different diseases will occur. Below are the 3 most common anorectal and colon diseases.

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis includes localized lesions in the colon and rectum

• Ulcerative colitis: inflammation in the rectum, this is the mildest form of damage.
• Pancolitis: severe inflammation spreading throughout the colon.
• Ilio-rectal colitis: localized lesions from the ilio-rectal colon to the rectum.

Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease occurs in the last part of the ileum and colon. Ulcers can extend from the rectum to the upper colon. In some cases, Crohn’s disease appears in the stomach where ulcers occur. These ulcerated segments alternate with healthy segments and are distributed in patches.

Crohn’s disease damages the layers of the intestinal wall and can penetrate the entire thickness of the intestinal wall, causing narrowing, perforation of the digestive tract or digestive infections.

In addition, Crohn’s disease can affect nearby organs such as the bladder, uterus, and anus.

Regular polyps or colon polyps

Colon polyps are abnormal tissue masses that form in the inner lining of the colon (large intestine). These masses can be benign or have the potential to develop into cancer if not treated properly. The disease is common in adults, especially those over 50 years old, but can also occur in younger people, especially when there are genetic factors or other related disorders.

Some cases of polyps can lead to colorectal cancer if not detected and removed early.

Causes of anorectal and colonic diseases

There are many mechanisms that cause anorectal and colon diseases. However, some factors can aggravate the disease. Three important risk factors include: genetics, immune system abnormalities, and environmental exposure factors.

• Genetic factors also affect the risk of the patient being susceptible to the disease. Some genes such as NOD2, ATG16L1, IL23R, IRGM affect immune function. There are more than 200 genetic variations that cause the risk of Crohn’s disease.
• Age: The disease is common in patients 50 – 60 years old.
• Smoking: Smoking is an important risk factor associated with Crohn’s disease.
• Exposure to certain bacteria, viruses, drugs (NSAIDs, birth control pills, antibiotics, acne medication isotretinoids), diet (high-fat diet, processed foods).

Common symptoms of anorectal and colon diseases

The symptoms of anorectal and colon diseases vary widely depending on the type, location of the ulcer, severity, and associated diseases. The disease progression can be silent, stable, or severe, with outbreaks in frequency, intensity, and duration. Common symptoms include:

• Bloody stools.
• Persistent diarrhea.
• Abdominal cramps.
• Bloating, flatulence.
• Loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss.
• Fever.
• Joint pain.
• Eye pain and itching.
• Vomiting, nausea.
• Skin rash, mouth ulcers.
• Changes in vision.
• Fatigue.

If the patient experiences the above symptoms, go to the hospital for anal endoscope or call the HFH hospital hotline 02435741111 to make an appointment for consultation with a specialist.

Treatment regimens for anorectal and colon diseases

Depending on the condition, patients are prescribed treatment according to the following regimens:

1. Non-drug treatment

If the disease is new and mild, the doctor advises the patient to change their lifestyle and diet to help control symptoms, reduce the frequency of flare-ups and even relieve the condition.

Patients need to change and build a healthy diet and lifestyle such as:

• Monitor symptoms after eating daily foods.
• Limit the use of cow’s milk products, red meat (especially with Crohn’s disease)
• Avoid and limit spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and alcoholic substances.
• Supplement vitamins and minerals.
• Follow a balanced, healthy diet. This means including foods from one of the five food groups every day, to ensure you get enough nutrients, such as: vegetables, including different types and colors, and beans; fruits; lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts; milk, yogurt, drink plenty of water.
• Stop using tobacco or antibiotics

2. Drug treatment

Patients will be prescribed some drugs to fight the inflammatory process.

• Anti-inflammatory drugs: commonly aminosalicylates, including sulfasalazine, mesalamine or balsalazide) Drugs are the first-line preparations to help fight symptoms with anti-inflammatory effects, maintain and reduce the severity of the disease.
• Corticoids: are anti-inflammatory drugs with strong, fast effects, often used during outbreaks.
• Immunosuppressants: affect the body’s overactive immune system, thereby helping to reduce inflammation. However, therapy takes time to achieve maximum effectiveness. In addition, the drug can increase the risk of infection in patients.4
• Biological drugs: are often chosen when the disease is severe, especially in young people, to help prevent the disease from progressing very early. The drugs act on receptors to reduce inflammation in the body.

3. Surgery

For patients with severe or chronic conditions such as polyps, the doctor will prescribe endoscopic surgery to remove the polyps.

There are many diseases of the anorectal and colon that arise from many different causes, from lifestyle habits to genetic problems. Depending on each disease, doctors prescribe different treatment regimens. To understand their disease, patients need to monitor their health changes and consult with specialists.