Intestinal Obstruction
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
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:
- Severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Loud bowel sounds
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Inability to pass gas
- Constipation
A complete intestinal obstruction is a medical emergency. It often requires surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Colectomy · Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Colostomy - series · Medical Encyclopedia
- Computed Tomography (CT) Enterography · Radiological Society of North America
- Intestinal obstruction repair - series · Medical Encyclopedia
- Radiographic Tests in GI · American College of Gastroenterology
Questions for your care team
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- How does this information apply to my situation?
- Which symptoms or results need evaluation?
- Which tests are useful, and what can they tell us?
- What care options, benefits, and risks should we discuss?
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- When is follow-up, and how will we know whether the plan is working?
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number.
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