What does a blockage in the bowel feel like? Discover the symptoms, causes, and effective treatments for intestinal obstructions. Get the facts and overcome this serious complication.

Defining Bowel Obstruction

A bowel obstruction, also known as an intestinal obstruction, is a serious medical condition where there is a blockage in the bowel, preventing the passage of digested food waste. This complication is more common in individuals with advanced cancer, particularly those with abdominal, lung, or breast cancers that have spread to the abdomen.

Causes of Bowel Obstruction

Bowel obstructions can occur due to various reasons, including:

• Cancer in the abdominal area (such as ovarian, bowel, or stomach cancer) pressing on the bowel
• Other cancers (such as lung or breast cancer) that have spread to the abdomen and are pressing on the bowel
• Cancer growth into the nerve supply of the bowel, damaging it and preventing the muscles from working properly
• A solid mass of indigestible material collecting in the bowel

People who have undergone previous surgery or radiotherapy to the abdomen are also at a higher risk of developing a bowel obstruction.

Symptoms of Bowel Obstruction

The main symptoms of a bowel obstruction include:

• Feeling bloated and full
• Experiencing pain, usually colicky tummy pain
• Feeling sick or nauseous
• Vomiting large amounts, including undigested food or bowel fluid
• Constipation, indicated by not passing wind and no bowel sounds

If you experience these symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention promptly.

Diagnosing Bowel Obstruction

To diagnose a bowel obstruction, your doctor will examine you, ask questions, and order various tests, which may include:

• Blood and urine tests
• CT scan
• Abdominal X-ray
• MRI scan
• Abdominal ultrasound scan

Your doctor will discuss the test results with you and explain the next steps in your treatment.

Treatments for Bowel Obstruction

The primary goal of treatment for a bowel obstruction is to relieve the blockage and restore normal bowel function. Treatments may include:

Drips and Drains

Your doctor may recommend temporarily stopping eating and drinking to allow your bowel to rest. You may receive fluids through an intravenous (IV) drip to prevent dehydration. Additionally, a tube may be placed through your nose and down into your stomach (nasogastric tube) to drain fluid and relieve nausea and vomiting.

Surgery to Unblock the Bowel

If the cancer is advanced and cannot be cured, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the obstruction and relieve your symptoms. This may involve removing part of the affected bowel and potentially creating a colostomy or ileostomy (stoma) to allow waste to pass out of the body. The decision to undergo such a surgery is a complex one, and you should discuss it thoroughly with your doctor, nurse, and close family or friends.

Stent Placement

In some cases, your surgeon may be able to place a stent, which is a tube that expands to keep the bowel open and relieve the obstruction. This can be a suitable option if you are unable to undergo a more extensive surgical procedure.

Ultimately, the treatment plan will be tailored to your specific situation and the severity of your bowel obstruction. It is important to have open discussions with your healthcare team to understand the risks, benefits, and potential outcomes of the recommended treatments.

Coping with Bowel Obstruction

Dealing with a bowel obstruction can be a challenging and stressful experience. It is important to communicate openly with your healthcare team, family, and friends to ensure you receive the support and care you need. Additionally, finding ways to manage your symptoms and maintain your quality of life can be critical during this time.

Remember, your healthcare team is there to guide you through this process and help you make the best decisions for your individual situation. By understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for bowel obstruction, you can take an active role in your care and work towards the best possible outcome.

Blocked bowel | Coping physically

A bowel obstruction means there is a blockage in the bowel. It is a serious complication, which is more common with advanced cancer. 

About bowel obstruction

Your bowel might become completely or partially blocked. This means that the waste from digested food can’t get past the blockage. The diagram shows the bowel and the rest of the digestive system.

Bowel obstruction can happen when:

• cancer in the abdominal area (such as ovarian, bowel or stomach cancer) presses on the bowel
• other cancers (such as lung or breast cancer) spread to the abdomen and press on the bowel
• cancer grows into the nerve supply of the bowel and damages it – this can stop the muscles working
• a solid mass of indigestible material collects in the bowel

Bowel obstruction is much more common with advanced cancer. People who have had surgery or radiotherapy to the tummy (abdomen) are more at risk of developing a bowel obstruction. 

Symptoms of bowel obstruction

The symptoms include:

• feeling bloated and full
• pain (usually colicky tummy pain)
• feeling sick
• vomiting large amounts (including undigested food or bowel fluid)
• constipation (shown by not passing wind and no bowel sounds)

Diagnosing a bowel obstruction

Your doctor will examine you and ask you questions. They will then arrange some tests and investigations. These might include blood and urine tests.

You may also have:

• a CT scan
• an abdominal x-ray

Your doctor might also arrange for you to have an MRI scan or an abdominal ultrasound scan. They will tell you more about the tests you will need. 

Treating a bowel obstruction

It’s important to understand what your doctors are trying to achieve with any treatments they recommend. So talk it through with them or with your specialist nurse.

Treatments for a blocked bowel can include:

Drips and drains

Your doctor might suggest treatment to give your bowel time to rest. You need to stop eating and drinking until your bowel is working normally again. You may need fluids through a drip so you don’t get dehydrated. This is called an intravenous infusion.

Sometimes you can have an infusion of fluids at home. You have this through a fine needle put just under the skin, instead of into a vein.

This may fix the blockage. But if it isn’t successful, you may need other treatments.

You might have a tube that goes up your nose and down into your stomach (called a nasogastric tube). This drains fluid from your stomach and stops you feeling sick.

Or your doctor might suggest that you have a venting gastrostomy to help relieve nausea and vomiting. This is when they put a special tube called a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG tube) into your stomach through an opening made on the outside of your abdomen. You usually have this under sedation.

Surgery to unblock the bowel

If your cancer is advanced and cannot be cured your doctor might suggest surgery to offer you longer term relief from your symptoms. The surgeon removes enough of the cancer to unblock the bowel. They might remove part of the bowel as well. 

After the operation your surgeon is most likely to repair the bowel by stitching the ends back together. But sometimes it isn’t possible to do this and you may need to have a colostomy or ileostomy (stoma). A stoma is an opening from the bowel onto the abdomen. Your poo comes out of this opening into a plastic bag that sticks over it.

Deciding whether to have an operation like this can be difficult. 

The surgery won’t cure your cancer. But it can relieve the symptoms that you have. Unfortunately, no one can tell beforehand how much you will benefit from an operation to unblock your bowel.

The operation could be successful and the cancer might not grow back to block the bowel again. But it is quite a big operation to have when you are likely to be feeling very weak and ill.

You might want to talk through having this operation with your close family and friends as well as your doctor and nurse.

Surgery to put in a stent

A stent is a tube that the surgeon puts into the bowel. It expands to keep the bowel open. This can relieve the symptoms caused by the obstruction.

Your surgeon may be able to put in a stent if you are not able to have a big operation.  

Having a stent

The surgeon puts a tube with a light at the end (colonoscope) into your bowel through the back passage (rectum). This is called a colonoscopy.

The surgeon uses the colonoscope to see where the blockage is and pushes a stent through it. The stent expands and holds the bowel open so poo can pass through again. The stent stays in place to keep the bowel open. It relieves symptoms and gives your surgeon time to plan surgery to remove the blocked part of the bowel. 

Medicines

Instead of an operation, medicines can sometimes help to control symptoms of a blocked bowel. Unfortunately these types of treatment will usually only control your symptoms for a while.

A drug called hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) stops muscle spasms and reduces pain. You can also have painkillers and anti sickness medicines.

You might also have a drug called octreotide. Octreotide reduces the amount of fluid that builds up in your stomach and digestive system. It can help to control sickness.

Or you might have steroids. Steroids can help to reduce the inflammation of your bowel. They can also help to control sickness. 

• Colorectal cancer
  National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), updated December 2021

• Electronic Medicines Compendium
  Accessed December 2022

• Diagnosis, assessment and management of constipation in advanced cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines

  P.J Larkin and others

  Annals of Oncology, 2018. Vol 29, Supplement 4.

• Bowel obstruction: a narrative review for all physicians

  F Catena and others

  World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 2019. Volume 14, Issue 20

• Bologna guidelines for diagnosis and management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO): 2017 update of the evidence-based guidelines from the world society of emergency surgery ASBO working group

  R ten Broek and others

  World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 2018, Volume 13, Issue 24

Last reviewed: 

19 Dec 2022

Next review due: 

19 Dec 2025

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Bowel Obstruction and Blockage: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is a Bowel Obstruction?
• Types of Bowel Obstruction
• Bowel Obstruction Symptoms
• Bowel Obstruction Causes and Risk Factors
• Bowel Obstruction Diagnosis
• Bowel Obstruction Treatment
• More

A bowel obstruction is a serious problem that happens when something blocks your bowels, either your large or small intestine. It’s also known as an intestinal obstruction.

If your digestive system comes to a grinding halt, you can’t have a bowel movement or pass gas. You might also notice stomach pain and a swollen belly.

A common type of blockage is called fecal impaction. This is when a large, hard mass of poop gets stuck in your digestive tract and can’t get pushed out the usual way. But when your bowel is blocked by something other than hard stool, doctors call it a bowel obstruction.

A bowel obstruction may be a partial blockage or a complete blockage. You can also have what’s called a pseudo-obstruction. This is when you have symptoms of a bowel obstruction but nothing physically blocking it. It can happen because of problems with your gastrointestinal muscles or with the nerves that control them.

Signs of an intestinal blockage will depend on how severe the obstruction is. But it almost always comes with belly pain, usually around your belly button, and cramping. Other signs include:

• Constipation
• Can’t pass gas
• Lack of appetite
• Nausea or vomiting
• A hard, swollen belly
• Diarrhea (with a partial blockage)

If you’ve been constipated and have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor right away. They’ll let you know what to do, including whether to call 911.

Many people with bowel obstructions are older and may have other serious illnesses, so a bowel obstruction may be life-threatening. You’ll most likely need to go to the hospital for treatment.

Your bowel could become blocked in several ways:

• Part of your bowel may get twisted, which can close it off and keep anything from passing through.
• It can get inflamed and swell up.
• Part of your intestine can slide into another part like a telescope (intussusception).
• Scar tissue or a hernia could make your bowel too narrow for anything to pass through.
• A tumor or other type of growth inside your bowel could block it.
• Damaged blood vessels leading to the bowel can cause some bowel tissue to die.

In many cases, inflammation, surgeries, or cancer can cause a bowel obstruction. It’s more likely to happen in older people.

Bowel obstructions can happen in your small or large intestine, but they’re more likely to be in the small intestine. You might be at higher risk if you have:

• Crohn’s disease
• Diverticulitis
• Hernia
• Colon cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Scar tissue from surgery
• Radiation to your belly
• Lung cancer, breast cancer, or melanoma that’s spread to your bowel

Your doctor will ask about your medical history, including whether you’ve been constipated, if you’ve had cancer, and what new symptoms you’ve had. They also may:

• Do a physical exam to see if you have pain in your belly, if you’re able to pass gas, or if they can feel a lump in your belly
• Order blood tests
• Order urine tests
• Order a CT scan or an X-ray to look for a blockage
• Give you a barium enema. They’ll put a special liquid that contains barium (a whitish-silver metal) into your rectum. It will spread into your bowels and show on an X-ray as a bright area. If there’s a blockage, the barium may show it.

You’ll probably need to go to the hospital for treatment. Your doctor will give you medicine and fluids through a vein (intravenous or IV). They may also run a thin tube through your nose and into your stomach. This is called a nasogastric (NG) tube. It lets out fluids and gas to ease your symptoms.

Most partial blockages get better on their own. Your doctor may give you a special diet that’s easier on your intestines.

Enemas of air or fluid can help clear blockages by raising the pressure inside your bowels.

A mesh tube called a stent is a safe option for people who are too sick for surgery. Your doctor puts it in your intestine to force the bowel open. Some people may not need anything more than a stent. Others may need surgery after they become stable.

Surgery is usually the best treatment for a totally blocked intestine when your bowel is damaged. Your doctor can treat the cause of the obstruction or take out the blocked area and any damaged tissue.

If you have surgery, you may need a colostomy or ileostomy. After your doctor takes out the damaged part of your intestine, they sew the rest to an opening in your skin. Poop exits your body through this opening and goes into a disposable bag. In some cases, your intestines can be reattached after you get better.

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Acute intestinal obstruction – symptoms, treatment, diagnosis

Acute intestinal obstruction is a life-threatening pathological condition that is characterized by a violation of the passage of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach to the anus. It is not an independent disease and is a complication of a variety of diseases. However, having arisen, intestinal obstruction develops according to a single scenario and is accompanied by typical clinical manifestations. In the absence of timely treatment, the prognosis for intestinal obstruction is extremely unfavorable.

Of great importance is the level at which intestinal obstruction occurred. The higher the obstacle arises, the more difficult it is, the more vigorous therapeutic measures it requires.

Types of intestinal obstruction

It is customary to distinguish between dynamic intestinal obstruction, when the motor function of the intestinal wall is disturbed (i.e., peristalsis is disturbed and the movement of the contents through the intestine stops) and mechanical intestinal obstruction (in this case, mechanical blockage of the intestine occurs at some level).

Mechanical obstruction is much more common and can develop due to blockage of the intestine by a foreign body, tumor, feces, as well as due to compression or infringement of the intestine from the outside during adhesions in the abdominal cavity, volvulus or formation of nodes. Dynamic intestinal obstruction can develop with diffuse peritonitis of any etiology, with long-term biliary or renal colic, after surgery on the abdominal organs, in case of poisoning with salts of heavy metals, as well as injuries and tumors of the brain and spinal cord (when the innervation of the intestinal wall is disturbed) .

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Symptoms

• Severe, cramping or persistent abdominal pain that occurs suddenly, regardless of food intake, and does not have a specific localization.
• Bloating.
• Intractable vomiting (the higher the level of obstruction, the more pronounced vomiting).
• Retention of stools and gases (with high obstruction, there may first be stool due to bowel emptying below the level of the obstruction).

Diagnostics

Plain radiography, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, MSCT can be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

If signs of intestinal obstruction are detected, to clarify the localization of the process, radiography is performed with oral administration of a radiopaque substance. A colonoscopy (an endoscopic method for examining the large intestine) and other additional studies may also be performed.

Treatment

In most cases, urgent surgery is needed.

However, all types of dynamic obstruction are subject to conservative treatment, which includes ensuring the patency of the gastrointestinal tract with the help of enemas, removal of intestinal contents with a nasogastric or nasointestinal tube, correction of water and electrolyte disorders, control of hemodynamics, normalization of peristalsis, detoxification and antibiotic therapy.

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Acute intestinal obstruction: causes, symptoms, treatment

Violation of the passage of contents through the intestines or adhesions leads to such an unpleasant problem as intestinal obstruction.

Causes

Acute intestinal obstruction is an independent functional disorder, a consequence of other pathologies or injuries. May lead to the problem:

• peritonitis,
• heavy metal salt poisoning,
• neoplasms,
• intra-abdominal pressure surges,
• gallstones,
• infectious diseases,
• severe weight loss, 9002 0
• vascular thrombosis,
• disorders of the stomach.

Acute obstruction: classification

• If hemodynamics, innervation (connection of internal organs with the central nervous system) is disturbed, then they speak of mechanical intestinal obstruction.
• Intestinal obstruction associated with compression of the intestinal lumen and compression of blood vessels is called strangulation.
• If the cause is adhesions, the patient is diagnosed with acute adhesive ileus.
• The result of paralysis, paresis – the so-called paralytic ileus.

Intestinal obstruction can be decompensated (no stool, signs of detoxification, anemia are pronounced), subcompensated (persistent constipation, the colon is significantly expanded, stool – with the help of enema, a large amount of laxative) and compensated (irregular stool, effective solution to the problem of constipation with laxatives).

Symptoms of intestinal obstruction

Symptoms affect both the gastrointestinal tract itself and other organs and systems of the body:

• Cramping pains in the abdomen (pain is not “tied” to eating).
• Constipation.
• Increased gas formation, bloating.
• Vomiting (often, but not always – may be absent in colonic obstruction).
• Rapid pulse.
• Pale skin.
• Without a medical diagnosis, a person can decide that the problem is an exacerbation of chronic colitis, an infectious disease, and even heart problems.

Diagnosis

The main methods of diagnosis are auscultation and percussion of the abdomen. In addition, important information for making a diagnosis can be obtained as a result of colonoscopy and fluoroscopy – always with a contrast agent.

Laboratory diagnostics is also important, especially a general and detailed biochemical blood test, including the determination of the level of chlorides, leukocytes and nitrogen.

The patient is also given a urine test. If cylinders, protein and blood elements appear in the urine, the disease progresses.

Treatment

Treatment is aimed at restoring intestinal patency, simulating motility, combating spasms and gas formation, and restoring electrolytes in the body.

In the initial stages, therapeutic methods are used, with the progression of the disease, severe obstruction, volvulus of the intestine and closure of the lumen, surgical intervention is required.

In case of intestinal volvulus, nodulation, an operation is performed to eliminate the node. If there are no signs of peritonitis, but the disease progresses strongly, a colostomy and hemicolonectomy are performed. If peritonitis has developed, surgeons perform a transversostomy.

Prevention

A significant problem is the recurrence of the disease. To prevent them, it is important to remember about prevention. What it includes:

1. Small meals and elimination of foods that cause gas in the intestines.
2. Regular biochemical blood test, abdominal ultrasound and colonoscopy.
3. Injury avoidance.

If signs of intestinal obstruction reappear, it is important to see a doctor immediately. It is also important to deal with the prevention of adhesion formation for everyone who has a tendency to form adhesions.