Intestinal obstruction is a blockage that retains meals or liquid from passing by way of your small gut or massive gut (colon). Causes of intestinal obstruction might embrace fibrous bands of tissue (adhesions) within the stomach that kind after surgical procedure, an infected gut (Crohn’s illness), contaminated pouches in your gut (diverticulitis), hernias and colon most cancers.
With out remedy, the blocked elements of the gut can die, resulting in severe issues. Nonetheless, with immediate medical care, its usually might be efficiently handled.
Signs
Indicators and signs of it embrace:
- Crampy belly ache that comes and goes
- Lack of urge for food
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Incapacity to have a bowel motion or move gasoline
- Swelling of the stomach
When to see a health care provider
Due to the intense issues that may develop from intestinal obstruction, search fast medical care when you have extreme belly ache or different signs of it.
Causes
- Intussusception
The commonest causes of intestinal obstruction in adults are:
- Intestinal adhesions — bands of fibrous tissue within the belly cavity that may kind after belly or pelvic surgical procedure
- Colon most cancers
In kids, the most typical explanation for intestinal obstruction is telescoping of the gut (intussusception).
Different doable causes of intestinal obstruction embrace:
- Hernias — parts of gut that protrude into one other a part of your physique
- Inflammatory bowel illnesses, reminiscent of Crohn’s illness
- Diverticulitis — a situation during which small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in the digestive tract grow to be infected or contaminated
- Twisting of the colon (volvulus)
- Impacted feces
Pseudo-obstruction
Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (paralytic ileus) may cause indicators and signs of intestinal obstruction, however doesn’t contain a bodily blockage. In paralytic ileus, muscle or nerve issues disrupt the conventional coordinated muscle contractions of the intestines, slowing or stopping the motion of meals and fluid by way of the digestive system.
Paralytic ileus can have an effect on any a part of the gut. Causes can embrace:
- Stomach or pelvic surgical procedure
- An infection
- Sure drugs that have an effect on muscular tissues and nerves, together with tricyclic antidepressants, reminiscent of amitriptyline and imipramine (Tofranil), and opioid ache drugs, reminiscent of these containing hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycontin)
- Muscle and nerve problems, reminiscent of Parkinson’s illness
Danger components
Ailments and situations that may improve your threat of intestinal obstruction embrace:
- Stomach or pelvic surgical procedure, which frequently causes adhesions — a typical intestinal obstruction
- Crohn’s illness, which may trigger the gut’s partitions to thicken, narrowing the passageway
- Most cancers in your stomach, particularly when you’ve had surgical procedure to take away an belly tumor or radiation remedy
Issues
Untreated, it will possibly trigger severe, life-threatening issues, together with:
- Tissue dying. Intestinal obstruction can reduce off the blood provide to a part of your gut. Lack of blood causes the intestinal wall to die. Tissue dying can lead to a tear (perforation) within the intestinal wall, which may result in an infection.
- An infection. Peritonitis is the medical time period for an infection within the belly cavity. It’s a life-threatening situation that requires fast medical and infrequently surgical consideration.
