How to Diagnose Intestinal Obstruction

A complete or partial blockage in either the large or small intestine is defined as an intestinal obstruction. If the blockage is severe, then surgery might be necessary to alleviate the problem. Intestinal obstruction can be caused by a number of reasons including adhesions from scar tissue following an injury, hernias where part of the intestines pushes through the abdominal wall, cancerous tumors, kinks or knots formed in the bowels, etc. Diagnosis of intestinal obstruction is necessary to avoid further pain, and if it is caught early it can be treated without surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit a physician if there is a lot of pain emanating from the abdominal area. If there are any new noticeable lumps in the abdominal area or if it is tender to the touch, seek medical help. If the condition is severe there will likely be severe abdominal pain, a fast heartbeat, and a high fever.

• 2

  Answer questions that the doctor asks truthfully. A doctor can only act on information you provide. They will ask about symptoms that are being experienced and assess your medical history and previous problems to identify any relationships to the current condition.

• 3

  Allow the physician to perform a physical examination. The doctor will feel and press in the abdominal area to test for painful areas and any abnormal lumps or swelling, and may perform blood or other diagnostic tests as well.

• 4

  Go through the recommended imaging scans. If the doctor suspects a complete or partial intestinal obstruction, she will likely recommend a computerized imaging procedure to help determine the diagnosis. These use X-rays to identify the obstruction and the severity. 50 to 60 percent of intestinal obstructions are identified through X-rays. Computed tomography compiles two dimensional X-rays for a better visualization of the body's interior. Ultrasonography uses sound waves to construct pictures of the interior of the body and can also be used to identify intestinal obstruction.