Intestinal obstruction means you have some sort of blockage involving the bowel. A blocked bowel causes a hindrance to intestinal content passage.
Not a healthy situation, and definitely not comfortable after a couple of days of food and drink consumption. Intestinal obstruction can cause an array of distressing symptoms, like:
- fever
- diarrhea
- distention
- breath odor
- constipation
- early satiety
- abdominal pain
- abdomen cramps
- nausea & vomiting
- abdominal fullness
- inability to pass gas
- stomach tenderness
The cause for bowel obstruction depends on whether your bowel blockage is in your small intestine or colon. And your abdominal pain and distention symptoms can be caused by something physically blocking the way (mechanical) or a condition causing the bowel to malfunction (ileus).
Mechanical causes of intestinal obstruction symptoms may include:
- hernia
- gallstone
- colon cancer
- colon polyps
- impacted feces
- intussusception
- intestinal cancer
- intestinal tumors
- twisted intestine, colon
- abnormal tissue growth
- stomach outlet stricture
- foreign material ingestion
- surgery caused adhesion, scar tissue
- Crohn’s disease inflammation, scarring
- diverticulitis caused inflamed, infected colon
These conditions can be a cause for your bowel not to function properly:
- lung disease
- gastroenteritis
- food poisoning
- kidney disease
- surgery complication
- certain medications ~ narcotics
- bacterial, viral intestinal infection
- abdominal blood supply decrease
- chemical, electrolyte, mineral imbalance ~ potassium level decrease
Abdominal infections are sometimes associated with appendicitis, peritonitis and shock. All commanding immediate medical attention to your health.
If left untreated, intestinal obstruction can cause a potentially life ending situation. Bowel blockage may lead to:
- sepsis
- jaundice
- gangrene
- septicemia
- dehydration
- kidney failure
- intestinal perforation
- electrolyte imbalances
Specific treatment for relief of your abdomen pain and distention symptoms depend on what’s causing your bowel condition. And with prompt health care, intestinal obstruction is often treated successfully.
Complete intestinal obstruction, meaning nothing gets through, is a medical emergency requiring immediate healthy alleviation of bowel blockage.
