Bowel Obstruction Treatment

Digestive system is an important part of the human body. The food is digested with the help of intestines and stomach. The excreta is thrown out of the body with the help of rectum. Any obstruction in the process of digestion is known as bowel obstruction.

The bowel includes the small and large intestine in it. Bowel problems occur when a part of it gets blocked partially or completely. It makes it difficult for the stools to be passed and thrown out of the body.

Here are some of the conditions that can trigger bowel obstruction:

• Scar tissues
• Gallstones
• Abnormal growth of the tissues
• Traumatic injury to the intestine
• Ingesting non-food items
• Tumor
• Impacted stool
• Colon cancer
• Crohn's disease
• Neoplasms

• Intestinal atresia
• Colonic atresia
• Fecal impaction
• Fecaloma
• Diverticulitis
• Endometriosis
• Ischemic strictures
• Intussusception
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Here are some of the symptoms of this condition:

• Complete absence of stool and gas
• Bloating
• Feeling of fullness in stomach
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal distention

If the affected person experiences any of the aforementioned symptoms and if the doctors suspect it to be bowel obstruction, various diagnostic tests along with physical examination are conducted to confirm the disease. In the physical examination, the doctors check for various signs such as bowel sounds.

The bowel is known to make gurgling and growling noise at random times. The doctors checks for bowel noise using stethoscope. If the loud noise or no noise is heard then bowel obstruction is confirmed. To reconfirm, the abdominal X-ray or CT scan is studied to determine the presence of an obstruction.

After that the test called barium enema is conducted to see the location of the obstruction.

After diagnosing this, if the doctors realizes that the case is not an emergency one then they prescribe the affected person with bowel obstruction home treatment. In the home treatment, the affected people are advised to follow medication and special high-fiber diet along with increased water intake.

This saves them from constipation and also helps in moving the abdominal obstruction forward. The medication generally consists of antibiotics and laxatives, that help them fight infections and remove the obstruction. In some cases, the doctors may prescribe only liquid diet till the symptoms subside.

If this does not work then there are many surgical and non-surgical options that are used.

In this method, a tiny nasogastric tube is inserted to the stomach through the nose and excessive gases and fluids are extracted.

Using various types of enema such as, air enema and water enema to remove the obstructions.

Sometimes, doctors may place a metal plate in the stomach, known as stent, that helps intestinal obstruction to move forward.

In this surgery, the obstruction is removed from the bowel by making few incisions in the abdomen. This can be an open surgery or laparoscopy. Once the obstruction is removed, incisions are closed with stitches. This operation is known as colectomy. After this surgery, some of the affected people also have to undergo colostomy.

It is performed when two parts of colon cannot be reattached. The doctors make an artificial opening outside the abdomen, known as stoma, that helps the affected person pass stools and feces. They have to bear stoma till their internal organs are completely healed, however, in cases where the lower part of the rectum is completely removed, colostomy is permanent.

One should avoid undergoing any kind of treatment without consulting the doctor and without discussing his/her medical history, as there are various risks associated with the same. With a balanced diet and regular exercise, it is easy to get rid of this condition.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.