This Pain Map Could Help Reveal Exactly Why Your Stomach is Hurting

Small Bowel Obstruction (Center Abdomen)

When the small intestines (also called the small bowel) are blocked, it can cause severe abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting, and dehydration. Small bowel obstructions occur when something blocks the flow of digested food through the intestines, causing waste to build up in the small intestine. People with small bowel obstructions will usually not be able to keep food and fluids down because they have nowhere in the body to go.

These blockages are commonly caused by bands of scar tissue called adhesions that can form after abdominal surgery. In addition, inflammatory bowel diseases and hernias can cause small bowel obstructions. Small bowel obstructions require hospitalization for observation. Patients will usually receive fluids for dehydration and antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medications to relieve the source of the blockage. In many cases, the obstructions resolve without issue, but obstructions that do not improve or worsen may require surgical removal.