Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDoes At-Home Removal Work?Detecting SymptomsSteps to TakeTreatment When SevereOngoing Bowel Symptoms
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Does At-Home Removal Work?
Detecting Symptoms
Steps to Take
Treatment When Severe
Ongoing Bowel Symptoms
A partialbowel blockage, or bowel obstruction, occurs when stool (the solid or semisolid remains to food eaten) gets stuck and can’t move through your intestines. The problem causes a buildup of food, gas, and fluids behind the blockage. It can cause cramps, belly pain, vomiting, andconstipation.
With a partial bowel blockage, some food and stool can pass through the intestines. It can often correct itself with changes to your diet or other nonsurgical treatments. This is more common than a complete bowel blockage, which entirely blocks your intestine and needs prompt treatment.
This article describes partial bowel blockage, symptoms, and ways to remove the blockage at home. It also describes when medical treatment is needed.
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Bowel Blockage: Is At-Home Removal Possible?
The option for at-home removal of a bowel blockage depends on the cause and conditions involving the problem. Many partial blockages open up on their own with supportive care and do not need further treatment. However, that does not mean that the problem is not serious.
Any untreated partial bowel blockage has the potential to become a life-threatening condition if the obstruction prevents blood from reaching your intestine. This type of intestinal blockage can result in infection andgangrene(tissue death). Attempting to do at-home removal of a bowel blockage should not be done without consulting with your healthcare provider.
Bowel Blockage vs. Constipation
A bowel blockage and constipation are two conditions that can interfere with the natural passage of waste from your body.
A bowel blockage is a condition in which stool, or feces, is blocking your bowel. It may require treatment to achieve relief. A bowel blockage can become a medical emergency if the obstruction does not resolve on its own or react to nonsurgical treatment.
Undiagnosed Bowel Blockage: How Do You Know You Have Symptoms?
Symptoms of a bowel blockage can vary based on factors including where the blockage exists, its cause, and whether the blockage is partial or full. You may experience the following symptoms if you have a bowel blockage:
Ways to Loosen a Partial Bowel Blockage At Home
Eat a low fiber diet.
Fiber adds bulk to your stools. However, consuming too much fiber can increase your stool size and make it harder to pass. If you have a partial bowel obstruction, eating more fiber during this time could worsen your obstruction.
Stay hydrated.
Staying hydrated can help soften your stools and make them easier to pass, which can help prevent a bowel blockage. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, women should have about 11.5 cups of water daily, while the recommended daily water intake for men is 15.5 cups every day.
Consume small meals.
Large meals may worsen discomfort and/or cramping. Consume five or six small meals daily. This diet is easier to digest than three large meals.
Eat slowly and chew your food well.
Chewing your food well before you swallow reduces the chances of undigested food becoming lodged in your intestine and causing a blockage.
Exercise regularly.
Mild or moderate physical activity can have positive effects on the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Physically active individuals demonstrate a lower prevalence of constipation compared to those who are physically inactive.
Consume foods that are easier to digest.
Choose tender, well-cooked foods with a smooth texture. These foods will pass through your intestines more easily.
Avoid habits and food that increase gas.
Avoid the following to reduce the amount of gas you add to your digestive tract:
How Long Does It Take to Clear?
The amount of time it takes a partial bowel blockage to clear depends on the cause of the problem. With dietary or other nonsurgical treatment, a partial blockage can typically resolve itself within a few days.
Conditions That Increase Your Risk of a Bowel BlockageYou may be at risk of having a bowel blockage if you have one of the following conditions:Scar tissue from abdominal surgeryHerniaDiverticulitisCertain cancers of the gastrointestinal or pelvic areas, including pancreatic,Crohn’s diseaseAbdominal radiation damage
Conditions That Increase Your Risk of a Bowel Blockage
You may be at risk of having a bowel blockage if you have one of the following conditions:Scar tissue from abdominal surgeryHerniaDiverticulitisCertain cancers of the gastrointestinal or pelvic areas, including pancreatic,Crohn’s diseaseAbdominal radiation damage
You may be at risk of having a bowel blockage if you have one of the following conditions:
Treatment for Severe Bowel Blockage
A severe bowel blockage can’t be treated at home. While treatment is based on the cause of the problem, it is common to require hospitalization for a severe bowel blockage.
Treatment for a severe bowel blockage includes the following based on your condition:
If these treatments do not relieve your bowel blockage, your healthcare provider may advisebowel blockage surgery. Surgery is typically the first-line treatment for a complete blockage.
The following types of surgery are used to treat a bowel obstruction:
Gut Health and Recovery: Ongoing Bowel Symptoms
Recovery from a partial bowel blockage can be a slow process. You may have to take your time to return to a normal diet and lifestyle. Lasting discomfort and bloating can occur after the bowel blockage clears. Even if a partial bowel blockage resolves, you still have the risk of another bowel blockage in the future.
You can help reduce ongoing bowel symptoms and your risk of another bowel blockage with the following strategies for maintaining gut health:
Summary
A partial bowel blockage is a serious problem that needs prompt treatment. While not as severe as a complete blockage, a partial blockage can worsen without treatment. This can increase your risk of having a severe infection in your intestine.
Do not ignore symptoms of a partial bowel blockage. Get medical care if you have sustained belly pain with vomiting and/or constipation.
If you have problems linked with a partial bowel blockage, contact your healthcare provider right away for an exam and diagnosis. They can advise whether at-home removal is best based on the cause and degree of your bowel blockage.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction.Memorial Hermann.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction and ileus.Mount Sinai.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Constipation.Saint Luke’s.Understanding intestinal obstruction.Cedars-Sinai.Blocked intestine.National Association for Continence.Ask the doc: when is constipation an emergency?University Health Network.Know about a low fibre diet for partial bowel obstruction.Ho KS, Tan CYM, Daud MAM, Seow-Choen F.Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2012;18(33):4593. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593Hamilton Health Sciences.What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.How much water do you need?St. Michael’s.Eating with a partial small bowel obstruction.Tantawy SA, Kamel DM, Abdelbasset WK, Elgohary HM.Effects of a proposed physical activity and diet control to manage constipation in middle-aged obese women.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2017;10:513. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S140250Banner health.Here’s what can cause bowel obstruction and how to treat them.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications (PDQ)-patient version.Kaiser Permanents.Bowel obstruction: care instructions.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction.Memorial Hermann.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction and ileus.Mount Sinai.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Constipation.Saint Luke’s.Understanding intestinal obstruction.Cedars-Sinai.Blocked intestine.National Association for Continence.Ask the doc: when is constipation an emergency?University Health Network.Know about a low fibre diet for partial bowel obstruction.Ho KS, Tan CYM, Daud MAM, Seow-Choen F.Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2012;18(33):4593. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593Hamilton Health Sciences.What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.How much water do you need?St. Michael’s.Eating with a partial small bowel obstruction.Tantawy SA, Kamel DM, Abdelbasset WK, Elgohary HM.Effects of a proposed physical activity and diet control to manage constipation in middle-aged obese women.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2017;10:513. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S140250Banner health.Here’s what can cause bowel obstruction and how to treat them.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications (PDQ)-patient version.Kaiser Permanents.Bowel obstruction: care instructions.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction.Memorial Hermann.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction and ileus.Mount Sinai.Intestinal obstruction.MedlinePlus.Constipation.Saint Luke’s.Understanding intestinal obstruction.Cedars-Sinai.Blocked intestine.National Association for Continence.Ask the doc: when is constipation an emergency?University Health Network.Know about a low fibre diet for partial bowel obstruction.Ho KS, Tan CYM, Daud MAM, Seow-Choen F.Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2012;18(33):4593. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593Hamilton Health Sciences.What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.How much water do you need?St. Michael’s.Eating with a partial small bowel obstruction.Tantawy SA, Kamel DM, Abdelbasset WK, Elgohary HM.Effects of a proposed physical activity and diet control to manage constipation in middle-aged obese women.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2017;10:513. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S140250Banner health.Here’s what can cause bowel obstruction and how to treat them.National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications (PDQ)-patient version.Kaiser Permanents.Bowel obstruction: care instructions.
MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction.
Memorial Hermann.Intestinal obstruction.
MedlinePlus.Intestinal obstruction and ileus.
Mount Sinai.Intestinal obstruction.
MedlinePlus.Constipation.
Saint Luke’s.Understanding intestinal obstruction.
Cedars-Sinai.Blocked intestine.
National Association for Continence.Ask the doc: when is constipation an emergency?
University Health Network.Know about a low fibre diet for partial bowel obstruction.
Ho KS, Tan CYM, Daud MAM, Seow-Choen F.Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms.World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG. 2012;18(33):4593. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593
Hamilton Health Sciences.What to eat when you have a partial bowel obstruction.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.How much water do you need?
St. Michael’s.Eating with a partial small bowel obstruction.
Tantawy SA, Kamel DM, Abdelbasset WK, Elgohary HM.Effects of a proposed physical activity and diet control to manage constipation in middle-aged obese women.Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2017;10:513. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S140250
Banner health.Here’s what can cause bowel obstruction and how to treat them.
National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications (PDQ)-patient version.
Kaiser Permanents.Bowel obstruction: care instructions.
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