Have you ever had any difficulty with digestion? Perhaps you are experiencing an intestinal blockage. This article will give you an idea as to what you are experiencing and how you can deal with it properly without much difficulty. However, let us first discuss what the phenomenon means and how it affects the body of a patient.
Intestinal Blockage Defined
This may refer to a physical deterrent in the colon/small intestines which prevents the continuous flow of fluids from occurring. This may be a result of various conditions such as adhesions within the abdominal area, tumors or hernias.
Various Effects
As a result, this condition causes a lot of problems for the patient including the following.
- Abdominal swelling
- Stomach aches
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- It may also cause partial death of the blocked intestinal areas
- Intestinal holes
- Infection
Symptoms of Intestinal Blockage
Here are some signs and symptoms that you have to watch out for when it comes to intestinal blockages.
- Intermittent stomach cramps
- Vomiting
- Stomach swelling
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
If you ever feel impeded by any of the symptoms, it is important that you seek medical attention right away. This way, you will be able to tell the doctor how you feel and help him or her detect the various causes of the disease which may in turn help in finding the suitable course of treatment.
Causes of Intestinal Blockage
There are several possible reasons for intestinal blockages. Mechanical obstructions can cause it to happen. As mentioned earlier, tumors and hernias can also cause this. It can also be because of any internal disorders that may cause the intestinal disfunction. Additional causes may be as follows.
- Crohn’s disease
- Volvulus – Twisted intestinal tract
- Intussusceptions –intestinal telescoping
- Colon Cancer
- Twisted colon
- Narrowing colon because of scarring and inflammation
- Diverticulitis
- Impacted stool
In addition to this, there are some medications that can also cause intestinal blockages. Surgeries can also cause this condition as well as Parkinson’s Disease.
Complications
These blockages can cut off your blood supply to the stomach. If this happens, parts of the intestinal tract will die. This will cause an infection due to holes that will form within the tract.
Treatment of Intestinal Blockage
This will depend on the severity of the condition. This is why is important for you to have constant communication with your doctor so that you may be able to understand the condition better and help the doctors treat you as fast as possible.
You may undergo hospitalization to stabilize your condition. In addition to this, intravenous fluids may be put into you to make sure that you will be able to get the nutrients that you need even if you are not eating.
You can also undergo surgery to repair any damage that the intestines may incur because of your condition. These are just some of the basic procedures that you can undergo so that you may be able to function well as a person.
Prevention
You want to prevent this condition from happening, you must avoid heavy lifting. In addition to this, you must also eat healthy foods so that your bowel movement would be more fluid in the future.