Intestinal Blockage: 7 Causes, and Diagnosis [Bowel Blockage]

Intestinal Blockage: The Causes, and Diagnosis – Fart in front of the crowd is embarrassing. However, at least you should be grateful that you can still fart because your inability to dispose of gases can be a sign of blockages in the small intestine or colon, known by the term bowel obstruction.

Read also: What causes someone to fart too much? Here are The Causes

Intestinal obstruction can last partially (partly) or full. Partial bowel obstruction is usually characterized by diarrhea, while full bowel obstruction causes the sufferer to be difficult or even cannot fart or bowel movements.

Read also: The Causes of Frequent Bowel Movements.

Intestinal obstruction or intestinal blockage can occur in the small intestine or colon. This condition can cause impaired food or fluid absorption, in the gastrointestinal tract. When not treated immediately, the intestinal parts that have obstruction can die and cause serious complications.

Blockages in the intestines cause food, fluid, stomach acid, and gas buildup. The condition will cause pressure on the intestines. When the pressure gets bigger, the intestines can tear, and secrete its contents (including bacteria) into the abdominal cavity.

Intestinal Blockage Causes

There are several things that can cause blockage in the intestines, among others:

Unbalanced food

Processed food intake that increases the acidity levels (acid forming foods) such as sugar, flour, fast food and so on.

Processed food

Processed foods will reduce the effect of electrolysis in the body, resulting in bile fluid that should help digestion become more acidic. Bile fluid cannot be completely digested the food precisely will result in the formation of plug sticking to the mucosa on the intestinal walls.

Toxins

The buildup of toxins will further burden the intestines and blood flow while the body is no longer able to produce enough nutrition. 

Worm

The infective egg (mature egg) is swallowed up in the mouth and becomes mature in the small intestine. The worm that clogs a lot of the small intestine is Ascaris lumbricoides, the worm is 10-30 cm in size, while females are 22-35 cm. A female worm can lay eggs for 100,000-200,000 eggs in a day.

The larvae of this worm will cause disturbances in the lungs, and the older worm causes symptoms in the intestines such as nausea, diarrhea or disorders of the bowel movements. In severe infections, it will cause the child to grow stunted, to be malnourished or undernourished because the food eaten only to meet the needs of these worms.

The older worms can also walk and enter into the bile duct, appendectomy, or into the respiratory tract. And the most terrible one can form a worm ball that is a bolus that then clogs the intestines (ileus obstruction).

Other Causes:

1. Extraluminal: Hernia, carcinoma, adhesion, abscess.
2. Intrinsic intestinal wall: primary tumor, malrotation, Crohn’s disease, infection (TB, diverticulitis), hematoma, ischemic strictures
3. Intraluminal: Gallstones, enteroliths, foreign subjects, bezoar (masses trapped in the digestive tract), fecal impaction.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is confirmed through Anamnesa, physical examination, and supporting examination.

Anamnesis:

The main symptom of colic abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, and unbiased defecation or flatus, the abdominal cramps suffered by paroxysmal about 4-5 minutes and rarely found in the distal, abdominal pain is often felt at the top of the upper, obstipation always occurs especially in the total blockage.

Physical examination:

Vital signs are initially normal, but there can be dehydration that is characterized by tachycardia and hypotension, dilated intestinal peristaltic can be seen in thin patients. Intestinal noise increases and metallic sound in the appearance of pain in the distal blockage. Abdominal pressure pain and it can be accompanied by a palpable mass.

Supporting examination:

Hemoconcentration, leukocytosis, and electrolyte disorders. With the radiologist with a supine upright position and lateral decubitus, a picture of the steps of the small intestine dilated with air-fluid level appears.

Thank you very much for reading Intestinal Blockage: The Causes, and Diagnosis, hopefully useful.