To diagnose
Your doctor may do: An abdominal X-ray, which can find blockages in the small and large intestines. A CT scan of the belly, which helps your doctor see whether the blockage is partial or complete.
CT scan is the most accurate method to diagnose and characterize a small bowel obstruction.
Bowel obstructions usually cause cramping, abdominal pain, vomiting and inability to pass bowel motions (faeces or poo) or gas. A bowel obstruction is an emergency and needs treatment in hospital to prevent serious complications.
A bowel obstruction can begin suddenly or may progress gradually over several weeks or days.
Most people with a bowel obstruction experience severe abdominal pain and nausea. The good news is that the intestine can often unblock itself with time and rest. And many people recover from a bowel obstruction without surgery. But surgery may be unavoidable in certain cases, including when complications develop.
It's also known as an intestinal obstruction. If your digestive system comes to a grinding halt, you can't have a bowel movement or pass gas. You might also notice stomach pain and a swollen belly. A common type of blockage is called fecal impaction.
Obstruction frequently causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, obstipation, and distention.
Symptoms of bowel obstruction
feeling bloated and full. pain (usually colicky tummy pain) feeling sick. vomiting large amounts (including undigested food or bowel fluid)
Avoid high-fiber foods and raw fruits and vegetables. These may cause another blockage. Drinking plenty of water may help. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
These treatments include using liquids or air (enemas) or small mesh tubes (stents) to open up the blockage. Surgery is almost always needed when the intestine is completely blocked or when the blood supply is cut off. You may need a colostomy or an ileostomy after surgery.
Such foods are: • Chocolate • Crisps • Cakes • Ice cream • Custard made with full fat milk and cream • Glasses of full fat milk with added skimmed milk powder • Cream added to desserts • Sugar added to drinks and cereal • Jam, honey and syrup added to foods • Butter added to allowed vegetables • Butter, cream/ ...
A small bowel obstruction caused by adhesions may occur as early as a few weeks and as late as several years after a surgery without any obvious inciting event. An obstruction can cause the material inside the bowel to back up into the stomach. This causes nausea and vomiting of dark green bile (bilious vomiting).
The most common cause of small-bowel obstruction (SBO) in developed countries is intra-abdominal adhesions, accounting for approximately 65% to 75% of cases.
Identifying Bowel Obstruction Symptoms
Most people affected by a bowel obstruction are unable to pass gas or have a bowel movement, and may have a swollen abdomen. Infrequent bowel movements or hard stools usually do not indicate obstruction.
Bowel obstructions cause bloating and abdominal pain. The pain may be cramping or colicky, so it starts suddenly and comes and goes in waves. You may not be able to poo or fart (pass gas/wind).
A bowel obstruction, whether partial or complete, can lead to serious and life threatening conditions if left untreated. The intestine can get swollen from the trapped air, fluid, and food. This swelling can make the intestine less able to absorb fluid. This leads to dehydration and kidney failure.
Symptoms may be long-lasting or may come and go over time. Symptoms may be more severe at times, called acute episodes, and milder between these episodes.
Laxative use can be dangerous if constipation is caused by a serious condition, such as appendicitis or a bowel obstruction. If you frequently use certain laxatives for weeks or months, they can decrease your colon's ability to contract and actually worsen constipation.
Individuals with fecal impactions often have breathing difficulties due to the collection of the stool in the colon. Fecal impaction can be life threatening. A bowel obstruction is either a partial or complete blockage of the small or large intestines and requires immediate medical attention!
Avoid dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Strain fruit and vegetable juices and soups. Avoid wholegrain, high fibre breads and cereals. Use white varieties where possible.
The four cardinal symptoms of bowel obstruction are pain, vomiting, obstipation/absolute constipation, and distention. Obstipation, change in bowel habits, complete constipation, and abdominal distention are the predominant symptoms in LBO.