The small intestine ends in the intestine, which due to its location is called the ileum. It is located in the iliac fossa, to the right of the midline of the abdomen. It has a common mesentery with the jejunum, with which they are attached to the peritoneum, consisting of two layers of peritoneum with a fatty layer between them, penetrated by blood vessels and nerve fibers. Because of the single mesentery, scientists consider the ileum and jejunum to be one organ. The location of the upper loops of the ileum is vertical, the lower ones are laid horizontally.
Where is the ileum located in humans?
The ileum (lat. ileum) is the lower section of the small intestine, coming after the jejunum. The ileocecal valve separates the cecum from the upper part of the colon.
The ileum is located in the lower right part of the abdominal cavity and in the region of the right iliac fossa. The ileum is covered on all sides by peritoneum. The ileum has a well-defined mesentery. There is no pronounced anatomical structure separating the jejunum and ileum. At the same time, the ileum has a larger diameter, its wall is thicker, and it is richer in blood vessels. In relation to the midline, the loops of the ileum lie mainly on the right, the loops of the jejunum on the left.
Structure
Due to the fact that the jejunum and ileum are covered by peritoneum and have a common mesentery, many experts consider them as one organ. Thanks to the mesentery, fixation to the posterior abdominal wall occurs. It is a hollow organ that is lined with smooth muscle. The average length of the organ in humans ranges from 1.3 to 2.6 m. Moreover, in men the intestine is slightly longer than in women.
The inner layer of the intestine is covered with raised villi, which consist of columnar epithelium. Due to the presence of crypts and circular folds, there is a significant increase in the total surface of the intestinal lining, thereby improving the absorption of digested food. Crypts are depressions in the shell that are shaped like tubes.
Structure of the iliac vein
Passing through all internal organs, blood vessels intertwine with each other, forming a single mechanism and being a necessary condition for the proper absorption of all substances entering the body. The iliac vein, due to the peculiarities of its anatomical location, is responsible for the outflow of blood from the lower extremities and pelvic area. It is located at the level of the sacroiliac joint. Its formation is possible at the confluence of the internal and external iliac veins. It is traditional to distinguish between the right common iliac vein and the left iliac vein.
Iliac vein
Features of work
The secret secreted by the ileum, like the entire small intestine, is intestinal juice, with the help of which parietal (membrane) and cavity digestion is carried out. About two liters can be released per day. Intestinal juice is formed due to chemical and mechanical irritation of the food lump (chyme) of the intestinal walls. The dense part of the juice are epithelial cells - special cells on the villi of which the necessary enzymes accumulate and then are released into the intestinal lumen, which promote the hydrolysis (decomposition with water) of food and the absorption of necessary substances. The main enzyme in intestinal juice is enterokinase.
Thanks to the peristaltic contraction of one layer of intestinal muscles, the chyme, treated with enzymes, moves further into the large intestine. At the same time, its contents are mixed with the help of pendulum-like waves created by another layer of muscles.
Cavity and parietal digestion are closely interconnected. During the cavity, food is hydrolyzed to intermediate substances, and intermediate substances during the membrane process continue to be broken down and begin to be absorbed with the help of intestinal motility (motor function), mucosal villi and an increase in pressure inside the intestine. The environment in the ileum during the digestion process is alkaline.
Functions
The ileum performs a number of functions, the main ones being: the secretion of enzymes, the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients, salts and minerals.
- Intestinal juice is secreted under the influence of mechanical and chemical irritation of the intestinal walls by chyme. Up to 2.5 liters are produced per day. The juice reaction is alkaline.
- The dense part of the intestinal juice consists of lumps of epithelial cells, which produce enzymes and gradually accumulate them. At the necessary moment, the cells are rejected into the intestinal lumen and destroyed, providing cavity digestion. Each epithelial cell on its surface has a microvilli - a kind of outgrowth on which digestive enzymes are fixed. This is another level of digestion in the ileum, called parietal (membrane). At this stage, food is hydrolyzed and absorbed.
- Intestinal juice contains 22 enzymes. The main one is enterokinase. It activates pancreatic trypsinogen. In addition, the juice contains lipase, amylase, peptidase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase.
- The advancement of chyme into the next sections of the digestive tract is carried out by contraction of the fibers of the muscular layer of the intestine. The main types of motion are pendulum-like and peristaltic waves. The first group of contractions mixes the chyme. Vermiform, or peristaltic, waves propel food into the distal intestine.
Both types of digestion exist interconnected. During cavity digestion, complex substances are hydrolyzed to intermediate substances. Next, intermediate products are broken down using membrane digestion, and the absorption process begins, which occurs through an increase in intraintestinal pressure, small intestinal motility, and villi movement.
The meaning of the iliac vein
The external and internal iliac veins have a large number of tributaries, distributed differently in the body of men and women. The internal iliac vein has parietal and visceral tributaries. The external vein, in turn, differs in the structure of the epigastric vein and the deep vein. What unites the two types of iliac veins is the correspondence to the branches of their arteries of the same name. The circulatory system is a well-coordinated mechanism in which the daily intake, processing and absorption of nutrients occurs.
All questions on this topic can be asked by phone: 8-918-55-44-698.
Diagnostics
There are difficulties in diagnosing this section and the entire rectum. This is explained by the peculiarity of the location of the organ, which is almost inaccessible for detailed examinations. That is why the key role in making the correct diagnosis is given to the combination of endoscopic, immunological, histological, and radiological methods together with the general clinical picture. The most common diagnostic methods:
- X-ray. This method will help detect intestinal obstruction, including the ileum. In addition, the presence of inflammatory processes that change the structure of the organ is diagnosed.
- Ultrasound. The most universal diagnostic method that will allow you to diagnose the presence of foreign inclusions in the intestine. In addition, using this method you can accurately see the location of the organ and its size.
- Enteroscopy. The main advantage of this procedure is the ability to perform a biopsy for histological and cytological examination. Also, with this manipulation you can eliminate minor bleeding and polyps.
The presence of any deviation may require additional consultation with gastroenterologists, oncologists, endocrinologists and other specialists. That is why differential diagnostic methods should be carried out only in gastroenterological departments of a multidisciplinary hospital.
Diseases of the ileum
Intestinal diseases have relatively similar symptoms; most often they are provoked by disturbances in the absorption of substances, the amount of excretion, and digestion. If you have frequent stomach rumbling, upset, frequent and regular pain, you need to undergo examinations in order to diagnose a possible disease in the early stages.
If you ignore the above symptoms, then after 2-4 years the disease will reach the final stages and begin to actively progress. In this case, complications will arise: amyloidosis, obstruction, bleeding, fistulas.
Crohn's disease
This disease is statistically quite common. In this case, inflammation occurs precisely at the end of the intestine, namely in the last 20 centimeters. For a disease, the moment of timely detection of the disease and, accordingly, treatment is very important.
Characteristic symptoms:
- pain on the right (often confused with appendicitis);
- fever;
- nausea, vomiting (observed very often);
- anemia;
- bleeding (blood is observed in the stool);
- the appearance of scars (if there are a large number of them, intestinal obstruction appears);
- frequent diarrhea, constipation;
- pain (they most often occur 3-4 hours after eating).
Lymphoid hyperplasia
The disease occurs due to changes in the intestine itself. Most often, these disorders disappear and do not cause any harm to the body. There are cases when everything does not go so smoothly; the reason for this may be relapses and deviations of intestinal tissue.
Symptoms:
- sudden loss of body weight that is difficult to regain;
- diarrhea;
- decreased immunity (the body does not resist, which allows infections to easily enter it);
- blood in feces;
- pain (abdominal);
- bloating;
- excessive gas formation.
Malignant formations
Ileal cancer itself is not very common; metastasis from other organs is more often diagnosed. Nutrition plays an important factor in this disease. It is fatty and smoked food, or rather its excessive consumption, that is a provoking factor. As mentioned above, if the disease is ignored for a long time, the tumor can spread and infect neighboring organs. The following symptoms may appear:
- nausea;
- colic;
- bloating;
- heaviness;
- weight loss;
- obstruction;
- bleeding in the intestine.
Ulcer
In case of chronic intestinal disease and untimely, neglectful attitude to treatment, defects - ulcers - can form. According to statistics, more than 70% of the disease occurs in men.
The main reasons may be disturbances in the functioning of blood vessels, taking medications that are not suitable, injuries to the intestinal lining, and excessive amounts of hydrochloric acid.
In the first stages, the characteristic symptoms are pain, which worsens when eating fatty and spicy foods, most often on the right side. In the final stages, pus and blood appear in the stool. If treatment is not started in time, complications may occur:
- perforation;
- cancer;
- narrowing of the intestine;
- internal bleeding.
Atresia
A characteristic symptom is that substances do not pass through the last part of the intestine. The peculiarity of this disease is that it is congenital.
Symptoms:
- bloating;
- lack of meconium;
- vomiting, nausea (typical already in the first days of life);
- anxiety;
- the child’s appetite disappears;
- insufficient feces.
Home prevention and treatment of pain in the iliac crest
The iliac crest is attached to the upper part of the hip joint, its main function is to protect other parts of the pelvis. Pain can be caused by inflammatory processes, injuries to the ilium or surrounding muscles.
The normal functioning of the hips, which support the spine and internal organs, directly depends on the condition of the iliac crest and the bone to which it is attached. Thus, its damage and the lack of professional intervention can significantly complicate a person’s life.
What causes pain in the iliac crest region?
Before you prescribe home treatment for yourself, you should understand what exactly is causing the pain. The suggested reasons are:
- Excess weight, as well as weakened muscles in the abdomen and lower back.
- Traumatic injury to the iliac crest due to a fall or blow.
- Apophyseal injury, which occurs when muscles are repeatedly pulled from the bone. Typically for children and adolescents whose bones continue to grow.
- Injury to the lower back caused by prolonged standing or sitting or regular play of golf and tennis. The pain affects the back and pelvic area.
- Piriformis syndrome occurs in those who walk in worn-out or small-sized shoes. Such actions cause muscle imbalance, which puts more pressure on the sciatic nerve.
- Pain in this area may appear due to damage to the gluteal bone, and subsequent deterioration. Possible consequences: movements become stiff and painful, blood pressure rises.
- A possible cause is bone cancer. Although such cases are quite rare. More common causes include disruption of the functioning of nerve endings, rupture of ligamentous or muscle tissue in the pelvic area.
Symptoms of pain
How exactly the symptoms manifest themselves depends on what exactly is causing the pain. The following options are possible:
- Sharp painful spasms in the muscles located in the lower back.
- The legs, buttocks and groin hurt because most of the nerve endings go to the hip joint.
- Aching pain spreads to the back or buttocks.
- Pain due to muscle spasms.
- Swelling, bruising of the joint
or adjacent bone tissue are common symptoms of damage to the iliac crest. - Difficulty and pain when moving.
- Sharp pain that occurs during stretching and flexibility exercises.
Traditional methods for relieving pain in the iliac crest
To alleviate the situation, it is recommended to use anti-inflammatory medications, as well as those that can reduce swelling. But you can also use folk remedies prepared at home. According to reviews, we offer the most effective options:
- Rest, ice, compression, elevation technique. The idea is to take some time to rest after a heavy workout and apply a cold ice pack for 15 minutes to reduce inflammation. For best effect, the damaged area should be above the level of the heart.
- A warm compress can relieve inflammation of the muscles and ligaments around the affected area. In addition, this method increases blood flow, significantly speeding up the healing process.
- An exercise to stretch the medial thigh muscles, which makes the muscles stronger and reduces the likelihood of further injury. Stretch your hamstrings, hip flexors, and quads as a whole.
- Turmeric is a spice that can help reduce joint swelling. Another positive property is that it protects muscles from loss of elasticity. Turmeric can be brewed with ginger to make a medicinal tea.
- Essential oils based on lavender, wintergreen, chamomile and winter extract are an effective pain reliever. This product is used during massage.
- Physiotherapy. The Internet will help in this matter, but it is preferable to consult a physiotherapist. With its help, a special course of physical activity will be selected to restore and strengthen muscle tissue in the area of the iliac crest - effective and safe. But it is important to coordinate everything with your doctor.
Preventive measures
Surely, after reading the article, you will be interested in the question: is it possible to prevent the development of such a disease? Of course, it is impossible to foresee all options, but there are methods to minimize risks.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the shoes you wear. Perhaps it is uncomfortable, worn out, small or large in size. The purpose of shoes is not only to physically protect the feet from damage, but also to provide shock absorption during movement and maintain proper muscle tension. Inappropriate shoes have the opposite effect.
You also need to be careful when choosing a sport or hobby. For example, frequent long-term walking on uneven terrain and in the mountains greatly “wears out” the legs, including the hips, and the muscles and joints located in them.
Another way to protect yourself from iliac disease is to work on strengthening your muscles. Pay attention to exercises that train the abdominal and pelvic muscles and maintain joint flexibility.
Treatment of any disease is always costly financially, physically and mentally.
It is worth clearly understanding that treatment under the supervision of specialists will be much easier and safer, and various complications can be avoided. But the best thing to do is to do your best to stay healthy. Regularly pay attention to your physical condition. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
