Dysentery

Dysentery is caused by intake of food containing disease-causing bacteria, which cause an inflammation of the intestines that affect the body significantly.



Dysentery refers to a serious condition affecting the large intestine. It is characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the bowel, a colic pain in the region of the abdomen and passing of liquid or semi-formed stools with mucus and blood. The disease is prevalent all over the world, except in very cold countries.

Two organisms, protozoa and bacilli cause dysentery.



The former is generally known as amoebic dysentery and the later as bacillary dysentery. An attack of amoebic dysentery is milder in comparison with bacillary dysentery. But while bacillary dysentery can respond quickly to treatment, amoebic dysentery does not leave the patient easily, unless he is careful.

Symptoms of Dysentery

Dysentery may be acute or chronic.




Acute Dysentery: is characterized by pain in the abdomen, diarrhoea and dysenteric motions. The patient passes yellowish white mucus and sometimes only blood with stools. He feels a constant desire to evacuate, although there may be nothing to throw off except a little mucus and blood. As the disease advances, the quantity of mucus and blood increases. Occasionally, casts or spread of skin-like mucous membrane, from small fragments to 12 inches or so long and an inch wide, are seen to pass out with motions. All the digestive processes are upset and the stomach loses power to digest and absorb food

Chronic Dysentery: cases are after-effects of acute attacks. One may not recover completely as diarrhoea and constipation may alternate, and general health is disturbed. In severe cases, the temperature may also rise to 104-105°F. It may occasionally become subnormal also.



Other common symptoms include abdominal cramps, fever and rectal pain
Causes of Dysentery

Here is a list of causes that lead to dysentery:

• Dysentery is caused by amoebae, which are tiny organisms that exist as parasites and are spread through contaminated food and water when either is swallowed. By consuming contaminated food, they move into the intestines via the stomach. Amoebae spread by forming infective cysts, which can be found in feces and spread if whoever touches it does not wash their hands.
• Disease causing germs can cause dysentery. The germs, which are supposed to cause this disease, develop in the colon only as a result of disintegration of excessive quantities of animal protein food, fried substances, too-spiced foods and hard-to-digest fatty substances.
• The real cause of dysentery is thus dietary indiscretion and eating of excessive amounts of meat or fish in hot weather or tropical climate, which is unsuitable to the digestion of such foods.
• Other causes include debility, fatigue, and chill, lowered vitality, intestinal disorders and overcrowding under unsanitary conditions.