The human eats food to survive by fueling the body with energy and nourishes the body. This can be achieved by the digestive system processing what has been eaten. The long tract of the digestive system that functions well is essential for humans. Hence, getting regular health screening is the best way to get early diagnosis and treatment as a means of preventing further complications in the future. There are many things that could go wrong in the digestive tract that lead to many symptoms. One of them is a bowel destruction.
Bowel obstruction is characterised by the inside of the bowel that is either blocked completely or partially. The obstruction may happen on the small or large intestines. There is also a term called “pseudo-obstruction” which is a rare condition causing symptoms of bowel obstruction but absence of blockage.
Bowel obstruction may occur at any age of life. However, a person experiencing bowel obstructions at young age or older adults usually have a high risk for complications. There are many possible causes of bowel obstruction. There are two types of causes leading to bowel obstruction:
1) Mechanical obstruction-Mechanical obstruction are physical barriers causing halts along the bowels movement such as scar tissues from surgery causing adhesion, foreign body such as swallowed objects or gallstones, hernia, tumour, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and intussusception or volvulus bowel.
2) Non-mechanical obstruction- Anything that disrupts the process of coordinated contractions of the bowel movements such as Hirschsprung’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, infection, diabetes, electrolyte imbalance, thyroid problems and drugs from anaesthesia or pain relief medications.
Bowel obstruction symptoms vary as it depends on how severe and which part of the bowel is affected. Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain typically around the belly button and cramping. Other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal swelling, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, unable to pass stools or gas and loss of appetite. In some cases, fever may occur as a sign of infection following the bowel obstruction.
Since the causes of a bowel obstruction is a long list and the symptoms are not specific, it is best to seek medical advice whenever a person suspects themselves of experiencing any symptoms of a bowel obstruction. This is especially true if the abdominal pain is severe as this may need emergency care. Bowel obstruction is a common emergency in older adults. Bowel obstructions in the younger child often needs intensive care. Mortality rate of bowel obstruction is about 5-8%.
Can you clear a bowel obstruction? Yes. How? Well, it is not a simple answer as it depends on the underlying conditions leading to bowel obstruction. One thing for sure, you will need to get yourself to a healthcare facility. From here on, doctors will do investigations on how severe the bowel obstruction is and find its causes. If it is a partial blockage, doctors may advise you for a special diet such as a liquid diet to help the intestine improve by itself. Nasogastric tube insertion, a thin tube that runs inside the nose all the way to the stomach may be used to help ease the symptoms of vomiting or bloating. Prescription of pain relief and anti-nausea is common to help alleviate symptoms. Usage of laxatives is not recommended for bowel obstruction as it may increase pain and diarrhoea episodes. A complete bowel obstruction often needs surgery to help clear the obstruction.
It can be concluded that bowel obstruction can be caused by many reasons and manifested with a variety of symptoms depending on how severe it is. It is best to clear the bowel obstruction by getting medical care rather than treating on your own. The sooner it is treated, the better the outcomes will be. Get Vaccinated.
