Introduction
An intestinal obstruction (ileus) is a serious and often life-threatening health disorder caused by an obstruction of the intestinal passage due to an obstruction (mechanical ileus) or by paralysis of the intestinal muscles (paralytic ileus). Which signs occur depends on the cause and on the location (large or small intestine) of the intestinal obstruction. In addition to usually severe cramp-like abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting often occur. Typical symptoms are a bloated abdomen and lack of bowel movement. Since there can be various causes for intestinal obstruction, there are also various other signs that can precede it, such as fever.
Overview of the signs of intestinal obstruction
If an intestinal obstruction develops, the first sign is usually a severe cramping abdominal pain. This can initially only be felt in a part of the abdomen and later spreads to the entire abdomen. Other common signs of intestinal obstruction are nausea and usually violent vomiting.
In some cases, vomiting can even occur, as the blocked intestinal passage can cause the bowel movement to back up into the stomach. Typical symptoms are a very bloated abdomen and a lack of intestinal gases and bowel movements. If an inflammation of an abdominal organ is the cause of the intestinal obstruction, fever is often a further sign.
If the course of an intestinal obstruction is particularly severe, circulatory disorders also occur at an early stage. The influx of large amounts of fluid from the blood into the intestinal wall can lead to a drop in blood pressure and palpitations. The impending circulatory collapse (shock) is then usually manifested by dizziness and loss of consciousness, which can even lead to fainting.
No, flatulence (bloating), i.e. the increased discharge of intestinal gases, is not a typical sign of intestinal obstruction. On the contrary, the occlusion usually causes wind. This means that the air formed in the intestine tends to remain there, causing the abdomen to sometimes inflate extremely.
If flatulence occurs, i.e. intestinal gases escape, this is more a sign that there is no obstruction of intestinal passage and therefore no risk of obstruction. These harmless but nevertheless mostly unpleasant flatulences can often be influenced favourably by a change in diet. Nausea is one of the most frequent first signs of intestinal obstruction.
Especially in the case of a small intestinal obstruction caused by a mechanical obstruction or entrapment, a backlog of food mush accumulates in the stomach, which can lead to nausea and vomiting. However, there are many different possible causes of nausea. A threatening intestinal obstruction is only responsible in very rare cases.
Therefore, if nausea is the only symptom, it should not be taken as a sign of impending bowel obstruction. In most cases, a harmless disease is responsible for the nausea, such as an upset stomach from food that was not well tolerated or a “gastroenteritis” (stomach flu). Only when other symptoms such as violent vomiting, cramping abdominal pain and lack of bowel movement occur can it be a sign of intestinal obstruction.
In such a case, a medical examination and assessment should clarify whether there is a threat of intestinal obstruction or a harmless cause. Burping is a common symptom in which air escapes from the stomach via the spittoon tube. Some air is naturally swallowed when eating and also forms in the stomach when drinking carbonated drinks, so belching is in most cases a natural body reaction and not necessarily a sign of intestinal obstruction or other serious illness.
However, in rare cases, if burping occurs regardless of the intake of food or drink, it may actually be the first sign of an impending intestinal obstruction. However, in such a case, other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and cramping abdominal pain are usually soon added. An accelerated heartbeat is a possible sign of an intestinal obstruction, but this usually occurs late, after the obstruction has already manifested itself through other symptoms such as vomiting, stool retention and severe abdominal pain.
The accelerated heartbeat can occur for several reasons. On the one hand as an accompanying reaction of the body to the pain and on the other hand as a sign of circulatory instability. The intestinal obstruction can cause large amounts of fluid from the blood to enter the intestinal wall.
The body first compensates for the lack of fluid in the cardiovascular system by accelerating the heartbeat in order to maintain blood pressure. If the loss of fluid becomes too great, it can ultimately lead to circulatory arrest. Fever is a non-specific symptom that can have a variety of possible causes.
In rare cases it can also be a sign of intestinal obstruction. In particular, if an inflammation in the abdominal cavity is the cause of the intestinal obstruction, fever is often the first sign in addition to usually severe abdominal pain. Anyone who has fever and abdominal pain should therefore have a medical examination in order to recognise a possible illness requiring treatment in good time and to avert a possible complication such as an intestinal obstruction in good time.
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