Talk On Intestine : Feel Your Body Series II

Intestinal Obstruction:

Description:
The Intestine is the organ that comes after the stomach.

Intestine is divided into two parts: the Small Intestine and the Large intestine.

The function of the Small Intestine is to reabsorb the digested food particles also called as chyle.

The function of the large intestine is to store the undigested food material and release it at a timely interval.

What is intestinal Obstruction?

Like any obstruction , it means the intestine is blocked and as a result ( just imagine what happens when a water pipe at your home is blocked?), the water stops travelling and the area above the obstruction gets distended, the same happens to your gut wall (intestinal wall ).

What are the types of Intestinal Obstruction?

Dynamic and Adynamic varieties

The Dynamic variety more common, is the IO where peristalsis is persistent even after obstruction and the adynamic variety is the opposite of that.

Common causes of Dynamic Variety

• Intraluminal ( Inside the water pipe )
Gallstone
Foreign Body
Worms
Hair bolus ( Hair is eaten by mentally incompetent people )

• Luminal (Pipe)
Tumour
Stricture
Atresia
Tuberculosis
Crohns disease
UC ( Ulcerative Colitis )

• Extraluminal ( Outside the Pipe)
Bands
Adhesions
Hernia
Intussusception
Volvulus
Large mass: Cancerous mass

Common causes of Adynamic Variety
(Mostly happens in post operative conditions)

• Paralytic Ilieus
• Mesentery vascular obstruct
• Pseudo Obstruct

What to Expect?

• pain in your abdomen , right or left side , upper side or lower
• fullness of abdomen
• vomiting
• constipation

What should you do?

Please please give a proper history about any previous surgery; do you have a genetic condition? please share your family history.

How long have you been suffering from the above mentioned factors? Is it persistent? Then go to your doctor! You don’t want to create surgical disaster by just waiting for the symptoms to go, do you?

Happy Digesting People !