Small Intestine Disorders
There are numerous types of disorders affecting the small intestine. Some conditions affect the way food is digested and absorbed within the body. Others are caused by inflammation, ulcers or infection. Small bowel problems can lead to further complications if left untreated, so it is crucial to see a doctor if you suffer from symptoms.
Types of Small Intestine Disorders
Intestinal Obstruction
The intestines take nutrients from the foods. What isn't absorbed by the intestines continues along the digestive tract and is passed as stool during a bowel movement. Intestinal obstruction is a blockage that keeps food or liquid from passing through your small intestine or large intestine (colon).
Intestinal Perforation
Intestinal perforation, defined as a loss of continuity of the bowel wall, is a potentially devastating complication that may result from a variety of disease processes. Common causes of perforation include trauma, instrumentation, inflammation, infection, malignancy, ischemia, and obstruction.
Intestinal Cancer
Intestinal cancer is rare, but eating a high-fat diet or having Crohn's disease, celiac disease, or a history of colonic polyps can increase your risk. Possible signs of small intestine cancer include: Abdominal pain.
Enteritis
Enteritis is inflammation of your small intestine. The most common causes are viral and bacterial infections. Enteritis can also include your stomach (gastroenteritis) or your large intestine (enterocolitis). Enteritis caused by infection is often gastroenteritis. Common examples are food poisoning and the stomach flu.
Enteric Fever
Enteric Fever is caused by salmonella bacteria. Typhoid fever is rare in places where few people carry the bacteria. It also is rare where water is treated to kill germs and where human waste disposal is managed.
SMA Syndrome
Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare disease defined as compression of the third portion of the duodenum between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery.
Intestinal TB
Intestinal tuberculosis is an uncommon clinical manifestation of tuberculosis, representing approximately 5% of extra-pulmonary cases reported in the US. Possible pathophysiology includes swallowing of sputum with direct seeding, hematogenous spread, or ingestion of milk from cows affected by bovine TB, which mainly occurs in developing nations
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term for two conditions (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) that are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Prolonged inflammation results in damage to the GI tract.