Radiation enteritis

Radiation enteritis is caused by a series of radioactive treatments that damage the intestines. It can cause damage to the rectum, small intestine, and colon, hence the name radiation enteritis. The occurrence of radiation enteritis has a great impact on patients, with many uncomfortable symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, low fever, and bloody stools. It requires timely medication treatment to avoid causing other harm.

Radiation enteritis will show some symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting in the early stage, and there will be many lesions in the late stage. Patients should pay more attention to diet and health care in daily life, and know more about what food is good to eat, which can help you better relieve the pain caused by the disease.

1. Early symptoms

Gastrointestinal symptoms may appear early due to the nervous system's response to radiation. It usually occurs within 1 to 2 weeks after the start of radiotherapy. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mucus or blood in the stool. Involvement of the rectum is accompanied by tenesmus. Persistent blood in the stool can cause iron deficiency anemia. Constipation is uncommon. Occasionally low fever. Spasmodic abdominal pain indicates involvement of the small intestine. Sigmoidoscopy may reveal mucosal edema and congestion, and in severe cases, erosion or ulcers.

2. Late symptoms

If the acute symptoms persist or do not heal until 6 months to several years after the end of radiotherapy, it indicates that the disease is continuing and will eventually develop into fibrosis or stenosis. Symptoms during this period may occur as early as six months after radiotherapy or as late as 10 or even 30 years later, and are often related to intestinal wall vasculitis and subsequent lesions.

(1) Colon and proctitis often occur 6 to 18 months after irradiation. Symptoms such as diarrhea, blood in the stool, mucus in the stool, tenesmus, narrowing of the stool, progressive constipation, or abdominal pain indicate intestinal stenosis. Severe lesions may form fistulas with adjacent organs, such as rectovaginal fistulas, in which feces are discharged from the vagina. Rectal intestinal fistulas may cause chyme to be discharged mixed with feces, and intestinal perforation may also cause peritonitis, abdominal or pelvic abscesses. Intestinal obstruction may occur due to intestinal narrowing and entanglement of intestinal loops.

(2) Enteritis When the small intestine is severely damaged by radiation, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, and bloody diarrhea may occur. However, the main symptoms in the late stage are malabsorption, accompanied by intermittent abdominal pain, steatorrhea, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, etc.

Diet and health care

Radiation enteritis diet therapy (the following information is for reference only, please consult a doctor for details)

1. Lotus root, peanuts and bone soup: first boil the bone soup to remove the blood, then add water, bones and other ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours.

2. Black chicken soup: 1 black chicken (about 800 grams), 4 red dates, about 20 wolfberries, a dozen slices of flowering ginseng, and a few ginseng roots. Wash the black chicken and cut off its head and butt; add 4 red dates, about 20 wolfberries, a dozen slices of flowering ginseng, and a few ginseng roots; chop the black chicken into 6 pieces and flatten a piece of ginger; put all the ingredients into a pot, add enough water, boil over high heat for 10 minutes, then simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours, and season with salt.

3. Ingredients for making mountain chestnut porridge: 60 grams of chestnuts (fresh), 60 grams of polished rice, 30 grams of yam (dried), 20 grams of dates (dried), and 4 grams of ginger. Peel the chestnuts and wash them together with yam, ginger, red dates and glutinous rice; put all the ingredients into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, cook it into porridge over low heat, and season it.

4. Ginseng, Astragalus and Coix Seed Porridge: 60 grams of coix seed, 12 grams of Codonopsis pilosula, 20 grams of jujube (dried), and 20 grams of Astragalus. Wash Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, red dates and glutinous rice, and soak them thoroughly with cold water; put all the ingredients into a pot, add appropriate amount of clean water, and simmer until it becomes porridge, which is then ready to eat.

5. Clove and sour plum soup: 256 grams of black plum, 4 grams of hawthorn, 2 grams of tangerine peel, 1 gram of clove, 1280 grams of white sugar, and 6 grams of cinnamon. Wash the black plums and hawthorns, smash them one by one, put them into a gauze bag together with dried tangerine peel, cinnamon and cloves, and tie the bag. Prepare about 11 liters of clean water, put the medicine bag into the water, boil it over high heat and then simmer it over low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove the medicine bag, let it stand and settle, filter out the soup, add white sugar and then drink it.

What food is good for the body when suffering from radiation enteritis?

1. Eat more of the following vegetables; such as Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. Just eat more of these vegetables;

2. Foods with appropriate temperature are the best for people with enteritis. When eating, you should chew slowly and thoroughly, which can reduce its burden and make it easier to digest.

3. Eat small meals frequently and keep a good mood. The mood should be good. More importantly, the stomach and intestines are very afraid of cold. At this time, you cannot eat cold food. Cold things will cause stomach and intestine discomfort, such as bitter gourd, tomato, wild rice stem, water chestnut, water chestnut, lily, lotus root, bamboo shoots, arrowhead, konjac, water spinach, dandelion, Patrinia, Houttuynia, purslane, bracken, bitter herbs, shepherd's purse, toon, water shield, black fish, carp, river crab, mud snail, clam, razor clam, jellyfish, kelp, seaweed, snail, river mussel, clam, milk, fermented black beans, mulberry, sugarcane, pear, watermelon, persimmon, banana, etc.

Patients with radiation enteritis should not worry too much and should actively cooperate with treatment. Diet is very important in daily life. Eat more vegetables, especially cabbage, potatoes, and broccoli. Do not eat cold food, as the stomach and intestines are very afraid of cold. Maintaining a good mood is also the most important thing. Be determined to overcome the disease and recover as soon as possible.