A small bowel obstruction typically occurs when only some or all of your small intestine (small bowel) is affected
This condition can be caused by several factors, including pregnancy, surgery, or a disease known as Crohn's disease. If you are pregnant, it is important that you seek medical advice right away. A small bowel blockage may cause complications such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, and even birth defects. Because of this, you should visit your physician as soon as possible in case you are experiencing any symptoms of an obstruction.
Since your small bowel is not as large as your large intestine, it is important that your doctor checks for blockages at least once a year. If you are experiencing any difficulty passing stool, bleeding after a bowel movement, feeling constipated, or experiencing pain while passing stool, you should consult with your doctor.
Treatments for small bowel obstruction are basically the same as for people with heavy bowel movements. To heal a blockage in your small intestine, your doctor will first determine if the problem is related to Crohn's disease, pregnancy, or other underlying medical conditions.
Your doctor will usually insert a simple telescope into your abdomen and look for a blockage in your colon. If the disease is caused by Crohn's disease, a prescription anti-inflammatory drug may be prescribed to treat symptoms and prevent further blockages.
During pregnancy, doctors will try to determine the cause of the obstruction and then prescribe medications to treat it so that your small intestine does not get too large for stool to pass normally. In addition to medications, doctors will likely perform colonoscopy and other procedures to remove small pieces of tissue to determine the exact cause of your obstruction.
If your Crohn's symptoms are severe, your doctor may also recommend surgery. In this case, the doctor will likely do a laparoscopy – a procedure that uses a laparoscope to look inside your body. After removing the tissue, your doctor will remove Crohn's disease or others causes of bowel obstruction.
There are many types of small bowel obstruction. They can be caused by an intestinal infection, a tumor, or a malfunctioning colon. Sometimes they are also caused by kidney or liver problems. If your doctor discovers a possible obstruction, he or she will usually order tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms, such as cancer, kidney stones, tumors, or other forms of disease.
Small bowel obstruction is more common in women than it is in men, but not always. If you think you might be having trouble passing regular stool, you should visit your physician to discuss treatment options.
If you have problems passing your stool, your doctor might suggest you take a medicine called Fecal Incision, which works by cutting a small hole in the bottom of your small bowel. The doctor inserts an endoscope, which can get close enough to your small intestine to examine it without putting pressure on the wall of the small bowel.
Fecal Incision is one of several medicines that can be used to treat small bowel blockages. If a person's symptoms aren't alleviated after four weeks of taking a prescribed medicine, he or she might need surgery.
Your doctor will often recommend that you use a stool softener when using a stool softener, especially if you have small bowel blockage. When you take an over-the-counter stool softener, it will help dissolve the hard lumps that are present in your stool. In addition, these products can help increase the amount of fluids that are passed from the body. Therefore, the stool passes easier and more regularly.
However, if you have a bowel obstruction that doesn't seem to respond to a medication or other natural remedies, your doctor may refer you to a specialist to help treat the problem. If your condition is more serious than constipation or colitis, your doctor might recommend a procedure known as laparoscopy, which involves a surgical procedure to remove the source of the obstruction.