You may know it as intestinal obstruction but modern medical science named it as Bowel Obstruction. It occurs when something blocks normal movement of food and liquids through your intestines. It happens due to many triggers.
Common types of bowel obstruction or blockade in your digestive system includes:
- Blocked passage in large or small intestine.
- Simple or complicated that sometimes cut off your bowel’s blood supply and cause damage to your intestines
- Partial or complete blockage in intestines. Sometimes makes it hard to even pass the gas from this area.
What is Bowel Obstruction?
Bowel obstruction is actually the other name of blockage in your digestive system especially the small and large intestines. This refers to complete obstruction of your bowels.
In normal condition, your food moves from stomach to intestines. The wastes eventually moves towards rectum, which is then passed through rectum as stool when you poop. Bowel obstruction blocks the passage of intestines that affects the grinding procedure of food in the stomach and eventually slows down the movement of food.
The mass that blocks the intestinal passage does not allow gas, digestive secretions and even wastes that causes severe damage to the tissues of the alimentary canal.
Unread or unnoticed symptoms if bowel obstruction leads to serious damage. Therefore, it is necessary to take immediate steps to treat the condition. If the matter has become serious, you need to get to an emergency department right away.
Types of Bowel Obstruction
Bowel obstruction has been classified on the basis of what time of intestine it has affected. Thus the types are:
- Small Bowel Obstruction: The small intestine is the most affected part in bowel obstruction. It is connected with your stomach at one end and with your large intestine at the other end. This means it makes a direct connection between stomach and large intestine.
- In addition, it also helps reabsorb some nutrients and water in it. Therefore, it holds a central position in your digestive system. Thus the obstruction in the small intestine causes severe symptoms.
- Large Bowel Obstruction: Colon and rectum are collectively called the large intestine. It also plays a role in reabsorption of nutrients and water from the undigested wastes reaches here. After reabsorption of some useful nutrients, it converts that material into waste as stool that passes through the rectum when you poop. Nearly 20% of bowel obstructions occur in the large intestine.
Some more types of obstructions include:
- Completer Obstruction: In this condition, the obstruction occurs throughout the affected part.
- Partial Obstruction: In this type, the affected part becomes narrower and partial blockage occurs.
- Pseudo Obstruction: This is a type of bowel obstruction where you experience blockage. This means you feel obstruction white thee;’s no obstruction. It actually occurs due to nerves glitching in your intestines.
How Common are Bowel Obstructions?
A large number of people experience small bowel obstruction around the world and the maximum number of people visit the emergency department due to this condition.
But the large bowel obstruction is not domino condition. However, people with colon cancer often have this condition. Bowel obstruction symptoms actually help diagnose colon cancer in many people. Because a tumor is formed due to bowel obstruction that makes doctors think about colon cancer diagnosis.
Symptoms of Bowel Obstruction
Bowel obstruction is usually characterized with sharp stomach pains that appear in the form of painful waves in the stomach and abdominal area. With the passage of time the pain becomes constant.
However, some of the symptoms for the condition include:
- Dehydration that causes dark-colored urine with rapid heartbeat.
- Constipation that makes it hard for you to pass poop from rectum or even gas.
- Cramping, bloating and pain in the abdomen.
- Vomiting and nausea.
- Partial blockage that proceeds as diarrhea.
- Lack of appetite.
- Weakness that makes you feel ill throughout the day.
The symptoms of bowel obstruction are the same in children and adults. Even infants also experience these symptoms but yet can tell you where it hurts. That’s why they pull their legs up towards their belly and cry hard.
Some symptoms of bowel obstruction that appear only in children are:
- Firm, swollen belly.
- Green or yellow-green vomit.
- Fever.
- Lethargy or tiredness.
- Blood in stool that is known as rectal bleeding.
What Does a Bowel Obstruction Feel Like?
Your gut is the main victim of bowel obstruction. Therefore, you can feel the symptoms differently depending on the part of your gut affected by the condition.
As general, the bowel obstruction is identified with the severe cramping pain in your abdomen. The pain appears in the form of intermittent waves that occur every few minutes but usually remain concentrated at one place. So, if you are experiencing severe cramping alongside other symptoms such as vomiting and bloating, you need immediate medical assistance.
Does Bowel Obstruction Cause Hurdle in Pooping?
Bowel obstruction can cause problems in pooping. However, it usually depends on which part of the gut the blockage has occurred and how severe it is. But in partial bowel obstruction, you still can poop even with severe pain, blockage and bloating.
However, in complete bowel obstruction, it is impossible to pass stool or even gas through the large intestine.
Causes of Bowel Obstruction
The most common causes of bowel obstructions include:
Abdominal Adhesion: The bands of scar tissues that often firm after surgeries on your pelvis or abdomen are known as abdominal adhesion. Many cases of small bowel obstruction occur due to abdominal surgeries in earlier ages.
Hernias: A weakened section of your abdominal wall causes breakage in the intestines. This causes sticking if segments of your intestines in the small or larege intestines and causes obstruction. These segments get trapped or tightly pinched in the intestine. This makes hernias the second ,most common cause of small bowel obstruction around the world.
Cancerous Tumors: In your intestines, cancerous tumors form due to some digestive problems. They remain stuck in the intestine or spread to other parts of your body like metastatic cancer. The stuck masses cause partial blockages. Therefore, experts have claimed that colon cancer is the leading cause of bowel obstruction.
Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD): IBD, particularly Crohn’s disease, has the potential to cause chronic damage and scarring of the delicate linings of your intestinal walls by creating fibrous scar tissue. With longstanding periods of time, this strong scar tissue can continue to layer upon itself and fill up in your digestive system, leading to a major and troublesome physical tightening of your bowel passageways; a particular structural complication that is known as strictures.
Diverticulitis: The gastrointestinal disorder diverticulitis basically takes place whenever little bulging pouches that are (anatomically referred to as diverticula) grow along the muscular walls of your colon and become inflamed or infected. This causes localized swelling that comes right from this horrific inflammatory response and can literally chock the inside space of your colon down to a few millimeters. Secondly, in a pattern of physiology that is so similar to the same processes that you would see with inflammatory bowel disease, permanent scarring can actually form within the affected areas, which leads to an additional and permanent narrowing of your colonic lumen.
Intussusception is a problem for kids under 3 years old. It happens when one part of the intestine goes inside another part like a telescope. This can block the intestine. Stop blood from flowing. Intussusception is the reason kids get bowel obstructions. When a kid has Intussusception the intestine gets blocked. This blockage can cause problems.
- The blocked intestine can stop food and waste from moving through the body.
- The blockage can also stop blood from flowing to the intestine.
- Volvulus is another problem that can happen. Some babies are born with a condition called malrotation. This means their intestines do not form correctly. When this happens their intestines can twist, which is called Volvulus. This twisting can block the intestine. Volvulus is not common in adults. It can happen.
- Radiation therapy can also cause problems. If you have radiation therapy on your abdomen, pelvis or rectum you might get Radiation enteritis. This is a complication of radiation therapy. Radiation enteritis can cause problems in your intestine.
What are the complications of a bowel obstruction?
A bowel obstruction can be very serious and even life threatening if you do not get emergency care.
The complications of a bowel obstruction include perforation and infection. This happens when fluids and gases build up behind the obstruction and cause a lot of pressure on your intestine. This pressure can cause your intestine to tear which is called perforation. When this happens the contents of your intestine can leak out. Cause a serious infection in your abdomen called peritonitis and even a life threatening infection in your whole body called sepsis.
Another complication of a bowel obstruction is strangulation, which is also known as tissue death. This happens when the obstruction cuts off the blood supply to your intestine. When this happens the tissue in your intestine can die, which is called gangrene. This can cause an infection and even death.
How do doctors diagnose bowel obstruction?
Doctors usually diagnose a bowel obstruction quickly because it is a medical emergency. They may even start treating you at the time as they are trying to figure out what is wrong.
To diagnose a bowel obstruction your doctor will first ask you about your history, including any surgeries you have had in the past. They will also do an exam to check for a swollen abdomen or any masses. They may use a stethoscope to listen for bowel sounds, which can indicate that you have a bowel obstruction.
- Your doctor may also do some blood tests to check for signs of infection. To see if you are dehydrated. If you are dehydrated you will need to get fluids away.
- Imaging procedures can also help your doctor see the obstruction and check for any complications. These procedures include:
- Abdominal X-rays, which can show the location of the blockage and any air that may have leaked out of your intestine.
- Tomography (CT) scan, which can give your doctor a more detailed picture of what is going on and help them figure out what is causing the obstruction.
- Barium enema X-ray, which’s a special kind of X-ray that uses a liquid to make your intestine show up more clearly on the images.
These procedures use radiation so you may need to have a kind of test if you are pregnant or if you are a child.
What is the treatment for a bowel obstruction?
Most people who have a bowel obstruction need to go to the hospital. If the obstruction is complete you will probably need to have surgery. If the obstruction is only partial you may be able to have treatments to help stabilize your condition and then you can try some non-surgical solutions, like bowel rest.
The treatment for a bowel obstruction may include:
- Getting fluids and electrolytes through a vein, which is called IV) fluids.
- Having a tube, which is a long thin tube that goes in through your nose and down into your stomach or intestine. This tube can help suck out any fluids or air that are backed up behind the obstruction.
- Taking medications to help prevent nausea and vomiting and to relieve pain.
- Having bowel rest which means you do not eat or drink anything for a while to give your time to clear the obstruction or shrink back down to its normal size.
- Having surgery to remove any blockages or to repair any damage to your intestine.
What can you expect if you have a bowel obstruction?
Most people who have a bowel obstruction start to feel better after they get treatment. You will know that the obstruction is clearing up when you are able to pass gas. You feel less bloated and you are able to have bowel movements again.
If the obstruction causes a rupture it can be life threatening. That is why it is so important to get help right away if you think you might have a bowel obstruction.
When should you call your doctor?
You should call your doctor if you have:
- A fever.
- Vomiting that will not stop.
- Severe abdominal. Cramping that comes and goes.
- Signs of dehydration.
What questions should you ask your doctor?
You should ask your doctor:
- What caused my bowel obstruction?
- What treatment will I need?
- Am I at risk of having another bowel obstruction in the future?
- How should I change my diet and activity level while I am recovering?
Conclusion
If you think you might have a bowel obstruction do not wait to get help. Many people try to tough it out when they’re in pain but this is not a good idea when it comes to a bowel obstruction. You should take pain very seriously especially if you have had surgery in the past or if you have a condition that puts you at risk like inflammatory bowel disease. A bowel obstruction is a condition and you can recover from it if you get medical help right away. Do not delay.
