Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
|
An intestinal obstruction occurs when food or stool cannot move through the intestines. The obstruction can be complete or partial. There are many causes. The most common are adhesions, hernias, cancers, and certain medicines.
Symptoms include:
A complete intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency. It often requires surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Your small intestine is the longest part of your digestive system - about twenty feet long! It connects your stomach to your large intestine (or colon) and folds many times to fit inside your abdomen. Your small intestine does most of the digesting of the foods you eat. It has three areas called the duodenum, the ileum, and the jejunum.
Problems with the small intestine can include:
Treatment of disorders of the small intestine depends on the cause.