Small Intestinal Obstruction
Small intestine is the part of digestive tract between the stomach and colon of the large intestine. Its primary function is digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. The three parts of small intestine are duodenum, ileum and jejunum. Duodenum connects to the stomach then is jejunum and the last part of the small intestine is ileum which connects to the large intestine.
Small intestinal obstruction: It may occur due to physical obstruction because of hernia, tumor, intestinal adhesions, Crohn’s disease or twisting of intestine. It may also occur when the intestine cannot function well due to muscle or nerve disorder such as paralytic ileus. Intestinal obstruction may be partial or complete. Symptoms include constipation, inability to pass gas, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting with swelling of the abdomen. It is a medical emergency and treatment depends on the cause of obstruction. Treating the underlying cause relieves the condition and in many cases, it requires surgery.