General information
The intestinal obstruction is also called ileus in medical terminology. It causes a number of unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening symptoms. Due to the obstruction of the intestinal passage, faeces accumulate in the intestine. An intestinal obstruction often has to be treated surgically.
Symptoms of intestinal obstruction
The different symptoms of intestinal obstruction are listed below:
- Constipation A constipation is a difficult bowel movement less than three times a week. Since an intestinal obstruction is an interruption of the intestinal passage, stool typically occurs. The stool remains in the intestine and cannot be excreted.
In the event of an intestinal obstruction, the patient may have to vomit faeces, as the faeces cannot be excreted with the stool. – Bloated abdomen An inflated abdomen occurs in the case of an intestinal obstruction due to massive stool retention. The chyme, which was ingested with food and may continue to be ingested, remains in the intestine and is not excreted.
The intestinal bacteria process the stool and produce gases such as methane. The gases accumulate in the intestine and cause an inflated abdomen (distended abdomen). The medical term for the increased gas accumulation is meteorism.
- No escape of intestinal gases Bacteria that occur naturally in the intestine process the stool and produce gases (methane). In healthy people, the gases are released in the form of flatulence. If a mechanical bowel obstruction causes flatulence (meteorism), the gases cannot escape because the intestinal passage is blocked.
In the case of an intestinal obstruction, there is no escape of stool and intestinal gases and the abdomen bloats massively. – Cramp-like abdominal pain/colic The cardinal symptom of an intestinal obstruction is colicky abdominal pain. “Colicky” means that the abdominal pains occur in contractions, but independent of movement.
The abdominal pain is extremely painful and is caused by spasmodic contractions (contractions of the muscles) of the intestinal muscles, as the intestine tries to empty the intestinal contents against resistance. Those affected have intervals in which they feel no pain at all, which in turn are followed by unbearably painful cramps. – Vomiting Complaints such as nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of intestinal obstruction.
First the contents of the stomach are vomited. In the course of time, vomiting of stool or bile (misery) may occur. The cause of vomiting of faeces is the retroperistalsis of the intestine.
For a while, the intestine tries to empty the intestinal contents against the resistance. Due to the intestinal obstruction, bowel movement is not possible, so that after a certain time the intestine works in the opposite direction. This eventually leads to the fact that in an advanced stage of intestinal obstruction, one vomits contents from the large intestine.
- Peritonitis Peritonitis can occur as a result of an untreated intestinal obstruction. For example, peritonitis can occur when germs enter the peritoneal cavity through the intestinal wall because the outer layer of the intestinal wall is mechanically damaged by the pathological filling. Another possible cause for the development of peritonitis due to an intestinal obstruction is an intestinal rupture.
In the case of an ileus, the intestine can accumulate massively and even tear (rupture). If intestinal bacteria and stool enter the peritoneal cavity, an inflammation of the peritoneum occurs. Peritonitis requires immediate treatment as it can be fatal.
- Circulatory shock An intestinal obstruction can cause a circulatory shock. As a result of the bowel contents and the amount of faeces in the bowel, fluid flows from the cells into the intestinal tube. This causes the body to lose fluid.
At the same time, the body loses fluid and electrolytes due to vomiting. Over time, an exsicosis develops, a severe dehydration. As a result of the dehydration and the loss of electrolytes, the affected person may suffer a circulatory shock.
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