What is bowel obstruction?

A bowel obstruction happens when either your small or large intestine is partly or completely blocked. The blockage prevents food, fluids, and gas from moving through the intestines in the normal way. The blockage may cause severe pain that comes and goes.

Symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:

• Cramping and belly pain that comes and goes. The pain can occur around or below the belly button.
• Vomiting.
• Bloating and a large, hard belly.
• Constipation and a lack of gas, if the intestine is completely blocked.
• Diarrhea, if the intestine is partly blocked.

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, other digestive problems you've had, and any surgeries or procedures you've had in that area. He or she will check your belly for tenderness and bloating.

Your doctor may do:

• An abdominal X-ray, which can find blockages in the small and large intestines.
• A CT scan of the belly, which helps your doctor see whether the blockage is partial or complete.

Most bowel obstructions are treated in the hospital.

In the hospital, your doctor will give you medicine and fluids through a vein (IV). To help you stay comfortable, your doctor may place a tiny tube called a nasogastric (NG) tube through your nose and down into your stomach. The tube removes fluids and gas and helps relieve pain and pressure. You will not be given anything to eat or drink.

Most bowel obstructions are partial blockages that get better on their own. The NG tube may help the bowel become unblocked when fluids and gas are removed. Some people may need more treatment. These treatments include using liquids or air (enemas) or small mesh tubes (stents) to open up the blockage.

Surgery is almost always needed when the intestine is completely blocked or when the blood supply is cut off. You may need a colostomy or an ileostomy after surgery. The diseased part of the intestine is removed, and the remaining part is sewn to an opening in the skin. Stool passes out of the body through the opening and collects in a disposable ostomy bag. In some cases, the colostomy or ileostomy is temporary until you have recovered. When you are better, the ends of the intestine are reattached and the ostomy is repaired.

If your blockage was caused by another health problem, such as diverticulitis, the blockage may come back if you don't treat that health problem.

If your doctor has told you to wait at home for a blockage to clear on its own:

• Follow your doctor’s instructions. These may include eating a liquid diet to avoid complete blockage.
• Be safe with medicines. Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.
• Put a heating pad set on low on your belly to relieve mild cramps and pain.

To prevent another blockage

• Try to eat smaller amounts of food more often. For example, have 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 2 or 3 large meals.
• Chew your food very well. Try to chew each bite about 20 times or until it is liquid.
• Avoid high-fiber foods and raw fruits and vegetables with skins, husks, strings, or seeds. These can form a ball of undigested material that can cause a blockage if a part of your bowel is scarred or narrowed.
• Check with your doctor before you eat whole-grain products or use a fiber supplement such as Citrucel or Metamucil.
• To help you have regular bowel movements, eat at regular times, do not strain during a bowel movement, and drink plenty of water. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
• Drink high-calorie liquid formulas if your doctor says to. Severe symptoms may make it hard for your body to take in vitamins and minerals.
• Get regular exercise. It helps you digest your food better. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Walking is a good choice.