Steatorea is ... Steatorrhea: symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment

Steatorrhea is a pathology, the main manifestation of which is the presence of fatty deposits in feces. Exceeding the norm is the presence of more than 5 grams of fat in the excrements. In individual people, this indicator can reach several hundred grams.

The main forms of pathology

The cause of the change in the composition of stool masses can be steatorrhoea, creatorrhea, amylorrhea. Let's consider each phenomenon separately.

1. Steatorrhea is a malfunction in the digestive system, in which neutral fats or fatty acids are accumulated in feces.
2. Creatorrhea is a pathology that occurs in response to a violation of absorption of nutrients in the intestine. Accompanied by accumulation in feces of nitrogen. In the absence of appropriate treatment can develop into pancreatitis.
3. Amylorrhea is a phenomenon that is characterized by the appearance in feces of a significant amount of starch grains, unsplit in the digestive system for sugar.

Types of steatori

Specialists distinguish the following types of pathology:

1. Alimentary steatorrhoea - is caused by the intake of excessive amounts of fats in the body, with digestion of which the digestive system is unable to cope.
2. Intestinal steatorrhea - the development of the disease leads to the inability of the intestines to metabolize fats.
3. Pancreatic steatorrhea is a pathology in which the pancreas produces an inadequate amount of the lipase enzyme necessary for the breakdown of fats.

Causes

Provoke the development of the disease is capable of congenital defects in the development of the digestive system, which can occur at a later age. Often, the emergence of such disruptions in the body leads to the construction of a daily diet based on the abundance of fatty foods, which most negatively affects the work of the pancreas.

What else can be called steatorrhoea? The causes of the onset of the disease also lie in the extinction of the working capacity of the endocrine glands. In particular, the development of pathology is facilitated by diseases of the gallbladder, inflammation of its ducts.

Symptomatics

Steatorrhea, creatorrhea lead to an abundance of loose stools. Call gets a gray or light shade. Patients feel frequent urge to defecate. With an extremely high content of fats in the calves, constipation may occur. Along with these manifestations, patients periodically experience severe dizziness, rumbling in the intestines, suffering from bloating.

The main visual manifestation of steatorrhea is rapid weight loss with abundant diet and moderate physical exertion. Skin covers of people affected by the disease, are covered with a dry crust, are peeling. Over time, the paleness of the lips is observed, cracks appear in the corners of the mouth. This is the manifestation of steatorrhoea, the symptoms of which indicate insufficient saturation of tissues with fatty acids.

Diagnostics

To confirm a disappointing diagnosis, the patient necessarily has a consultation with a gastroenterologist. The doctor hears complaints, carries out palpation of the abdomen, which allows to detect stagnation of fat masses in the small intestine.

Then they resort to instrumental methods of research. In particular, the retro- scopy of the organs of the digestive system makes it possible to determine the degree of atrophy of the mucous membranes, and to identify puffiness.

The most important moment during the diagnosis is the analysis of the chair, a detailed study of its structure. Here resort to microscopic and macroscopic assessment of stool. In addition, colonoscopy, radioisotope techniques, ultrasound may be used.

Prevention

As effective preventive measures aimed at preventing the development of the disease, it is worth noting:

• The development of a diet based on a balanced amount of fatty, carbohydrate and protein foods;
• Refusal from the use of alcohol, which can cause failures in the work of organs, which are responsible for digestion and elimination of toxic substances from the body;
• Moderate consumption of fried foods and food with an abundance of spices.

Secondary preventive measures include the timely detection and elimination of diseases that can provoke insufficient splitting of fats in the body and, accordingly, the formation of characteristic deposits in the stool. For example, these purposes are often resorted to antibiotic suppression of infections that develop in the small intestine.

Steatorrhea: treatment

In the course of therapy, the patient is prescribed a course of drugs with an elevated lipase content. Active substances in the composition of medicines of this kind prevent the premature destruction of digestive enzymes under the influence of gastric juices.

Among the effective drugs, the reception of which allows you to eliminate the manifestations of steatorrhoea, it should be noted:

• "Pancreatin".
• Maalox.
• Creon.
• "Fosfalugel".
• Gastal.

In the most neglected cases, patients are prescribed to take drugs with the content of adrenocorticotropic hormone and hydrochloric acid. Patients are recommended to take vitamin complexes. In parallel, therapy with ascorbic and nicotinic acid is carried out.

In the treatment of steatorrhea, emphasis is placed on the use of low-fat meat, boiled fish, and low-fat milk. Patients are required to give broths.

Possible complications

Without proper treatment, steatorrhoea in later stages of development can cause the following negative consequences for the body:

1. Protein deficiency - a regressive condition is associated with insufficient absorption of protein in the tissue.
2. Hypovitaminosis - occurs as a result of the lack in the body of a sufficient number of liposoluble micronutrients.
3. General exhaustion of the body.
4. The development of water-salt imbalance - is expressed by the feeling of constant thirst, dehydration, the appearance of edemas on the body, excessive dryness of the mucous membranes.
5. Convulsive conditions - involuntary muscular contractions of a paroxysmal nature.
6. Oxaluria is the excretion of an excessive amount of oxalic acid from the body. Pathology is characterized by the formation of insoluble stones, which clog the urinary tract and kidney canals.
7. The defeat of important organs and systems - the heart, lungs, brain.
8. The development of mental problems - reduced efficiency, sleep disturbance, loss of concentration, difficulty in thinking operations.

Stethorrhea during pregnancy

Steatorea is characteristic of women who bear fruit. Usually pathology is manifested in late pregnancy. In most cases, it provokes the formation of fat deposits in the feces slowing the outflow of bile because of the pressure of the uterus on the gallbladder.

In pregnant women, the disease manifests itself by the abundant formation of a liquid stinking stool, which has a colorless hue. At the same time, the mucus secreted by the body turns yellow.

Later, the disease can provoke a decrease in blood clotting, which makes it very difficult to stop bleeding immediately during childbirth. Without adequate diagnosis and treatment, the disorder leads to a weakening of the fetal bone tissue. In some cases, a deterioration in the eyesight of both the mother and the child is a consequence of the development of the ailment.

Completely eliminate the manifestation of steatorrhoea in the fetus bearing allows the use of complex methods of treatment. In addition to taking appropriate medications, the expectant mother is prescribed a clear adherence to a diet. In particular, a pregnant woman is recommended to abstain from acute, fatty, fried foods, prescribe vitamin A, D, E, K.

Stethorrhea in infants

The development of the disease in newborns is often due to inadequate liver development, the cause of which is pathological genetics. The prerequisite for the occurrence of an illness may be congenital lesions of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

As for the main reasons for the manifestation of steatorrhoea in children, it is worth noting here, first of all, the insufficient amount of gastric enzymes that participate in the breakdown of fats. The formation of substances that contribute to the formation of a healthy metabolism occurs naturally during the first three months of life. Before this time (in the presence of a malfunction in the body) eliminate the lack of enzymes allows the use of medications.

Finally

Steatorrhea is a rather unpleasant ailment, the main danger of which lies in the high probability of developing a whole mass of deviations in the work of vital organs and systems.

As practice shows, effective nutrition with the intake of moderately fatty foods, saturation of the body with vitamins makes it possible to effectively combat the disease. Such simple steps make it possible to quickly transfer the disease to the stage of remission and avoid negative consequences.