Intestinal Obstruction: Symptoms, Causes & Diagnosis

Posted On July 21, 2023

Intestinal obstruction is a condition in which the intestines become blocked, preventing food and stool from passing through. The most common cause of intestinal obstruction is a blockage in the small intestine. Other causes include blockages in the large intestine, rectum, or stomach. Intestinal obstruction can be partial or complete. SIDS Hospital, being one of the best gastro hospital in Surat, has experts in treating intestinal obstruction disease.

Partial obstruction allows some food and stool to pass through, while complete obstruction prevents all movement. Symptoms of intestinal obstruction include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Treatment depends on the severity of the obstruction and may involve surgery to remove the blockage.

Symptoms of Intestinal Obstruction:

Numerous signs and symptoms of intestinal blockage include:

• severe bloating
• abdominal pain
• decreased appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• inability to pass gas or stool
• constipation
• diarrhoea
• severe abdominal cramps
• abdominal swelling

Depending on where and how long the obstruction has been there, some symptoms may vary. For instance, vomiting can indicate a small intestinal obstruction early on. If your large intestine obstruction is persistent, vomiting might also happen.

A total obstruction can prevent you from passing gas or stool, whereas a partial obstruction can cause diarrhoea.

Peritonitis, a dangerous infection and inflammation of your abdominal cavity, can also be brought on by intestinal obstruction. When a section of your intestine ruptures, this happens. Fever and intensifying stomach ache follow. You should consult a best gastro specialist in surat for a critical situation that poses a risk to life necessitates surgery.

Causes of Intestinal Obstruction:

Adult intestinal blockage is most frequently caused by:

• Intestinal adhesions, bands of fibrous tissue that form in the abdominal cavity after abdominal or pelvic surgery.
• Hernias are instances of the intestine protruding into another area of the body.
• Stomach cancer
• Telescoping of the intestine is the most frequent cause of intestinal blockage in children (intussusception).

Mechanical obstructions, albeit less often, can also clog your colon or large intestine. This may be because of:

• faeces lodged in the colon or rectum (impacted stool)
• adhesions caused by pelvic procedures or infections
• ovarian cancer
• colon cancer
• newborns with meconium plugs (meconium is the stool babies first pass)
• Intussusception and volvulus
• Diverticulitis, an infection or inflammation of the protruding intestine pouches, and stricture, a scarring or inflamed narrowing of the colon

Risk Factors of Intestinal Obstruction:

The following illnesses and diseases can make you more susceptible to intestinal obstruction:

• Surgery on the abdomen or pelvis, which frequently results in adhesions, a common intestinal blockage
• Crohn’s disease, which can thicken the intestine’s walls and make the passageway smaller
• Having stomach cancer

Complications of Intestinal Obstruction:

If left untreated, intestinal obstruction can result in catastrophic, sometimes fatal complications, such as:

• Tissue ageing: An area of your gut can lose its blood flow due to intestinal blockage. The gut wall deteriorates due to a lack of blood. A hole (tear) in the intestinal wall caused by tissue death may result in infection.

• Infection: The medical name for an infection of the abdomen cavity is peritonitis. It is a potentially fatal ailment that needs rapid medical care and frequent surgery.

How can it be diagnosed?

A doctor may first inspect your abdomen by pressing on it. They then use a stethoscope to listen for any sounds. If a youngster is involved, the presence of a hard lump or certain noises, in particular, may help identify the presence of an obstruction.

Other testing consist of:

• Blood tests to screen it which include electrolyte levels, liver function, and blood counts.
• X-rays
• Your doctor will use a flexible tube with a light called a CT scan colonoscopy to examine your intestine after a contrast enema.

Treatments Options for Intestinal Obstruction:

The obstruction’s location and degree will determine how it is treated. Don’t try to solve the issue yourself. The type of intestinal obstruction determines the best course of action.

It may be able to alleviate partial blockages by merely relaxing the bowels and receiving intravenous (IV) fluids. Bowel rest means that at that period, you won’t be allowed to eat or drink anything but clear liquids. Your doctor also treats the obstruction’s root cause if it is known.

Treatment for dehydration is crucial. Your doctor might administer IV fluids to you to balance your electrolytes. Your bladder may be inserted using a catheter to discharge pee.

Gastrointestinal bleeding due to an obstruction is a dangerous sign that needs immediate medical attention. These causes frequently necessitate inspection by a Stomach Specialist in Surat at SIDS Hospital in order to identify and cure the conditions ranging from inflammation to tears in the digestive tract.