Understanding a bowel obstruction (2024)

An intestinal obstruction means that something is blocking your intestine. Food and feces may not move freely.

When your intestines work normally, digested food moves from your stomach to your rectum. Along the way, your body breaks down food into usable parts and turns the rest into feces. You ultimately remove it through a bowel movement.

An intestinal obstruction can completely or partially block this natural process. A complete blockage is an emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

Among the many possible causes of a bowel obstruction are:

• Abdominal adhesions.These are tissue growths in bands that can force your intestines out of place.

• Complain.A hernia is a tear in the muscle wall of your stomach. Hernias can cause bulges and pockets. These can block your intestine.

• Volvulus. A volvulus occurs when part of your intestine twists on itself. This creates a blockage.

• Darminvagin*tie.This condition means that one segment of your intestine slips into another segment. This narrows your intestine, but may not block it.

• Scar formation.As your body heals minor cuts (wounds), scar tissue forms. This can also happen in your abdomen. These scars can build up and cause partial or total intestinal blockages. Scars can be caused by tears in the intestinal wall, stomach (abdominal) or pelvic surgery, or infections.

• Inflammatory bowel disease.Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two examples.

• Diverticulitis. Small pouches (diverticulae) can grow from the lining of the colon. These can become inflamed.

• tumors.The growth can be cancerous or harmless (benign). Either way, they can partially or completely block your intestine.

• Strange objects.Non-food items that you swallow intentionally or accidentally can cause partial or complete intestinal obstruction.

• Meckel diverticulum.About 2 in 100 people are born with this extra small pouch in the intestine.

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Symptoms

Symptoms of intestinal obstruction include:

• Severe pain in the stomach

• Severe cramping feelings in your stomach

• Yield

• Feeling of fullness or swelling in your stomach

• Loud noises from your stomach

• Feels the accelerator pedal, but cannot pass the accelerator pedal

• Constipation (inability to have a bowel movement)

Who is at risk?

You may be at risk for a bowel obstruction if you:

• Abdominal surgery. This can increase the risk of scar tissue or other growths. They also increase the risk of hernia.

• Diverticulosis. This condition means that something irritates the lining of the intestine. It can cause inflammation, infection and scarring, which can lead to blockage.

• Cancer

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Ingested foreign bodies

• Chronic constipation

  See Also

  Bowel obstruction - Bowel obstruction - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Diagnose

To diagnose your condition, your healthcare provider will consider your general health and medical history. He or she will ask you about your complaints. Tell your provider where your pain is and how severe it is. Also tell your provider if you have had any changes in your bowel movements or appetite. Tell your provider if you have other unusual symptoms, such as digestive sounds or bloating.

Your healthcare provider will give you a physical examination. You may also need certain tests. These may include:

• Abdominal x-ray

• Barium contrast study

• CT scanning

• DHR

• Contrastfluoroscopie

Therapy

The treatment your healthcare provider recommends depends on the cause of the blockage. For a simple blockage, you may only need liquids and no solids to eat. Your provider will make every effort to address any metabolic problems. You may have a bowel decompression. This is usually done with a nasogastric tube. You may also have bowel movements.

If your intestinal obstruction is more complicated, you will need surgery immediately. This may be due to a tear (perforation) in the intestine or a problem with blood flow. You may also need surgery if other treatments don't clear the blockage. The goal is to remove the blockage and repair your organs.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend using a small, flexible tube to keep your bowel open, rather than having a more invasive surgery.

Complications

Complications are problems caused by your condition. Complications of intestinal obstruction include:

• Pain

• Constipation

• Lost appetite

• Inability to keep food or liquids down

• Fever

• Infection

• Tearing (perforation) of the intestine

• Death (rare)

Prevention

Abdominal adhesions that occur after surgery can be prevented if your medical team takes certain measures. These include keeping the incision site moist rather than dry. Discuss in advance what steps your medical team can take to reduce the risk of adhesions after surgery.

When should you call the doctor?

Seek immediate medical attention if you have symptoms of intestinal obstruction. These include severe abdominal pain, vomiting and inability to have a bowel movement.

How to cope or live with this condition

Follow your doctor's instructions. If he or she has asked you to change your diet as part of your treatment, stick to the new plan. The goal of the diet is to reduce the work your digestive tract has to do while still giving you the nutrition you need.