How to Know if Your Child has a Bowel Obstruction

Baby's feet

Digested food particles should take a trip through 25 feet of intestinal tracts or more prior to brand-new wastes enter your body. These wastes are continuously in motion. However digestive obstruction can put a stop to this. An intestinal obstruction happens when your small or large intestinal tract is obstructed. The clog, partial or overall, prevents the passage of fluid or digested food.

If digestive obstruction happens, food, fluids, stomach acids, and gas build up behind the site of the blockage. If enough pressure builds up, the intestinal tract can burst. This causes a leak of damaging stomach contents into your abdominal cavity.

There are lots of potential causes of digestive tract obstruction. In a lot of cases, this condition cannot be avoided. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital. An unattended intestinal obstruction can be deadly.baby's feet

Symptoms of Bowel Obstruction

Digestive tract obstruction causes a wide variety of uncomfortable symptoms, consisting of:

  • severe bloating
  • abdominal pain
  • reduced cravings
  • queasiness
  • vomiting
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • severe abdominal cramps
  • abdominal swelling.

A few of the symptoms might depend on the location of the obstruction. For instance, vomiting is an early sign of small intestine obstruction. This has the tendency to take place after a longer amount of time if you have an obstruction in the big intestine. A partial obstruction can result in diarrhea, while a total obstruction leads to constipation.

Information verified by the iythealth.com team.

Intestinal tract obstruction might also cause a high fever if a part of the intestinal tract wall has actually burst.

Causes of Bowel Obstruction

Digestive blockages are either the result of something obstructing part of the intestine (mechanical obstruction) or a failure of the intestinal tract to work correctly (paralytic ileus). There’s a range of causes of bowel obstruction:

  • a strangulated hernia, which happens when part of your small intestine protrudes through your abdominal wall
  • an inflammatory disease, like Crohn’s disease, where swelling and scar tissue causes a narrowing of your intestinal tract
  • adhesions, or scar tissue, from a previous abdominal surgery
  • colon cancer in which the growth blocks the intestine
  • severe constipation from Parkinson’s disease, which results in affected bowel
  • gallstones, which can press versus your intestinal tract and obstruct the circulation of its contents
  • volvulus, which is a twist or knot in your intestine
  • intussusception, which occurs when one area of your intestinal tract collapses into another
  • consuming foreign things, which is unusual
  • paralytic ileus, which is a condition that often occurs after abdominal surgery in which your intestinal tract momentarily stops contracting and moving its contents along.

According to the Merck Manual, 10 to 20 percent of small bowel obstructions are due to digestive strangulation. This can cause gangrene to quickly establish in the colon.

Digestive tract Obstruction in Child

Bowel obstruction in babies typically occurs from infections, organ diseases, and reduced blood flow to the intestines (strangulation). Some children experience the condition after having a the stomach flu. This can cause inflammation in the intestines.

According to KidsHealth, intussusception is the most common abdominal emergency situation in children 2 years old and more youthful. This takes place when one part of the bowel collapses or slides into another part. As a result, the intestine is blocked.

Any type of digestive obstruction is challenging to detect in babies because they can not explain their symptoms. Instead, parents should observe their children for changes and symptoms that could indicate a clog. Examples include:

  • abdominal swelling
  • child draws knees approximately his/her chest
  • drowsy
  • fever
  • grunting in pain
  • passing stools that appear to have blood in them, known as a currant jelly stool
  • extremely loud cry
  • vomiting, particularly bile-like vomiting that is yellow-green
  • weakness.

If you observe these symptoms or other changes in your child, look for medical attention. An intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency situation. According to KidsHealth, when a child gets treatment within 24 hours of when their symptoms started, they typically make a full recovery.

When to See a Doctor

A digestive tract obstruction is always considered a medical emergency situation even if isn’t really hasn’t erupted.

Seek emergency treatment if you have symptoms of a digestive obstruction, especially if you have just recently gone through abdominal surgery. If you experience abdominal bloating, severe constipation, and an anorexia nervosa, look for immediate medical attention.

Diagnosis of Bowel Obstruction

First, your doctor will ask you your case history and carry out a physical exam. They may be able to spot the obstruction by listening to your abdominal area with a stethoscope. Your doctor may likewise see that your abdominal area is very swollen or that there’s a swelling in the area.

Your doctor will use CT scans and X-rays of your abdomen to find the site of your obstruction and to identify its cause. If the obstruction remains in your big intestine, your doctor may carry out a colonoscopy (a flexible, lighted seeing tube) to take a look at your intestine. X-rays may be taken after you’ve been given an enema that uses barium or a color called Hypaque to supply contrast. This helps to supply a clear picture of your colon.

Treating Bowel Obstruction

An intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency situation that needs prompt medical treatment. Do not try to treat the issue at home. The appropriate treatment depends on the type of digestive obstruction.

Initially, a versatile tube may be passed through your nose or mouth to eliminate fluid and gas. This will relieve your abdominal swelling.

A lot of digestive tract obstructions require surgery. You will be given fluids intravenously for as numerous as 6 to 8 hours. Intravenous (IV) fluids ease dehydration by restoring your electrolyte levels and help avoid shock during surgery. This therapy is typically given in a health center or other qualified health care facility.

If the tissue in the afflicted part of your intestinal tract has actually passed away, your cosmetic surgeon will perform a resection to eliminate the dead tissue and sign up with the two healthy ends of the intestinal tract.

Prescription Remedies

While prescription medications can not treat the obstruction itself, they can help in reducing your queasiness until more interventions are performed. Examples of medications your doctor may prescribe include:

  • antibiotics to reduce infection
  • anti-emetics to keep you from vomiting
  • painkiller.

You must not disregard the symptoms of an intestinal tract obstruction or effort to treat an intestinal obstruction at home.

Outlook for Bowel Obstruction

When left unattended, digestive obstruction can cause the tissue in the affected part of your intestinal tract to pass away. This can cause a hole, or perforation, in the wall of the intestinal tract, severe infection, and shock.

Overall, the outlook of your condition depends on its cause. While a lot of cases of digestive tract obstruction are treatable, other causes, such as cancer, need long-term treatment and tracking.

 

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
Health and Welfare
Comments: 1
  1. Paulette

    Please help I have a grandson who will be 5 in April he is happy and always eager to learn and have fun but he does not have bowel movements and we are not sure where it goes ?? His parents have finally brought him to the doctors but they are not getting any where being told it’s normal etc. I am so sure he needs to have test done to find out what it is before it’s too late. The stools he does have are very little not much at all he is a good little eater and his parents do not allow junk food in his diet. Please list the possibilities that could be the problem. Thank you

Comments are closed.