Bowel Obstruction Symptoms – Discomforts with Blocked Instenines
When there is an obstruction is the passage of intestinal contents thereby making excretion difficult, bowel obstruction is experienced. Such a condition can create a lot of discomfort like distended abdomen, painful spasms, nausea and constipation. Medical intervention is needed before it moves to higher and more complex levels.
Bowel Obstruction Symptoms – Induce Pain and Discomfort
When your small or large intestine gets partially or completely blocked, it is referred to as bowel obstruction. Such a blockage prevents gas, fluids and food to move through your intestines in a normal way. This often results in severe pain and discomfort. Scar tissues or adhesions, tumors and twisting or narrowing of intestines can result in bowel obstruction. Bowel construction symptoms can include intermittent belly pain and cramping where pain occurs around your naval, bloating, vomiting, constipation and gas when intestine is completely blocked or diarrhea when intestine is partially blocked. Sometimes bowel obstruction symptoms can include extremely severe and constant pain indicating blood supply cut off in your intestine or a possible hole in it. Such a condition is an emergency and requires quick intervention of the doctor. These symptoms can affect the gastrointestinal tract and may include abdominal swelling, constipation, foul smelling breath, nausea and spasms.
Partial Bowel Obstruction – Causes and Characteristics
Where there is incomplete passage of stools through bowels and the condition impacts the intestinal tract, it is referred to as partial bowel obstruction. This can eventually lead to total obstruction. Such a condition is a cause of concern and should be treated immediately since it can develop complications such as bowel ischemia where part of your bowel may be deprived of oxygen. Causes of partial bowel obstruction include large foreign body ingestion, tumors, adhesions, hernias, constipation, kink in bowel and intussusceptions. This condition is characterized by abdominal tenderness and pain, cramps, vomiting and nausea. There also could be difficulty to defecate and straining. A medical imaging study is done to check the patient’s condition. The patient may be asked to undergo a barium swallow where the intestinal tract is highlighted on an x-ray image to determine location and nature of obstruction.
Large Bowel Obstruction – Outcome of Condition
The emergency condition of large bowel obstruction requires early identification and intervention. This bowel obstruction is age dependent and can result from mechanical interruption of intestinal contents flow or by colon dilation in anatomic lesion absence. While one is a true mechanical obstruction, the other is a pseudo-obstruction and it is necessary to differentiate between the two. A mechanical obstruction can cause mucosal edema, impaired venous and arterial flow of blood to bowel. Bowel edema leads to bacterial translocation, dehydration, systemic toxicity and electrolyte abnormalities. Bowel ischemia leads to fecal soilage and perforation of peritoneal cavity.