A bowel obstruction happens when either your small or large intestine is partly or completely blocked.ther causes include hernias and Crohn's disease, which can twist or narrow the intestine, and tumors, which can block the intestine.
The cause of the blockage can be mechanical, meaning that there is a physical obstruction. Mechanical blockage may be caused by scar tissue, adhesions, entrapment through a hernia, foreign bodies, gallstones, tumors, impacted feces, and volvulus (twisting of the intestines). The bowel, or intestine, is the part of the digestive tract that absorbs nutrients and fluid from foods we eat. The residue of digested food passes through the bowel and is excreted during elimination, the final stage of digestion. A bowel obstruction happens when either your small or large intestine is partly or completely blocked. Other causes include hernias and Crohn's disease, which can twist or narrow the intestine, and tumors, which can block the intestine. A blockage also can happen if one part of the intestine folds like a telescope into another part, which is called intussusception. In the large intestine, cancer is most often the cause. Other causes are severe constipation from a hard mass of stool, and narrowing of the intestine caused by diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disease Intestinal obstruction occurs when there is a blockage of your small or large intestine. The blockage prevents the passage of fluid or digested food. The blockage may be partial or total. There are many potential causes of intestinal obstruction. In many cases, this condition can’t be prevented. Intestinal obstructions are either the result of something blocking part of the intestine (mechanical) or a failure of the intestine to work properly (paralytic ileus). There are a variety of causes of intestinal obstruction: For the condition in newborns, see Neonatal bowel obstruction. Bowel obstruction or intestinal obstruction is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines, preventing the normal transit of the products of digestion.  Tumors, scar tissue (adhesions), or twisting or narrowing of the intestines can cause a bowel obstruction. These are called mechanical obstructions. In the small intestine, scar tissue is most often the cause. Other causes include hernias and Crohn's disease, which can twist or narrow the intestine, and tumors, which can block the intestine. A blockage also can happen if one part of the intestine folds like a telescope into another part, which is called intussusception. In the large intestine, cancer is most often the cause. Other causes are severe constipation from a hard mass of stool, and narrowing of the intestine caused by diverticulitis or inflammatory bowel disea Bowel obstruction can produce symptoms, such as a distended abdomen, fullness, gas, painful spasms, constipation, diarrhea, nausea with or without vomiting, and foul-smelling breath. Treatment options include surgical placement of a tube through the stomach or nose to alleviate the distension and remove the obstruction. The bowel, or intestine, is the part of the digestive tract that absorbs nutrients and fluid from foods we eat. The residue of digested food passes through the bowel and is excreted during elimination, the final stage of digestion. Volvulus can also occur in the large bowel, most often in the sigmoid colon. Other possible causes of bowel obstruction include: 1  Impacted stools (poo) from severe constipation. 2  Diseases that affect the intestinal wall such as Crohn's disease or diverticular disease. 3  Gallstones. 4  A swallowed item. 5  Intussusception, where part of the intestine folds in on itself. There are a number of causes that could be responsible for a bowel obstruction, both mechanical and non-mechanical. Paralytic ileus refers to a non-mechanical obstruction where the rhythmic muscle contractions of the intestine, known as peristalsis, stops. Practice Essentials. A small-bowel obstruction (SBO) is caused by a variety of pathologic processes. The leading cause of SBO in industrialized countries is postoperative adhesions (60%), followed by malignancy, Crohn disease, and hernias. See the image below. The most common cause of small-bowel obstruction (SBO) is postsurgical adhesions. Postoperative adhesions can be the cause of acute obstruction within 4 weeks of surgery or of chronic obstruction decades later.
http://www.healthgrades.com/conditions/bowel-obstruction http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/bowel-obstruction-topic-overview http://www.healthline.com/health/intestinal-obstruction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowel_obstruction http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/bowel-obstruction-topic-overview http://www.healthgrades.com/conditions/bowel-obstruction http://www.webmd.boots.com/digestive-disorders/bowel-obstruction http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/774140-overview
what causes bowel obstruction