If your doctor instructs you to wait for a partial bowel obstruction to resolve on its own, home treatment measures may help relieve your discomfort. Follow your doctor's instructions, which usually include eating a liquid diet to avoid complete obstruction. Watch for signs of complete blockage, such as:

• The return of abdominal pain. Severe pain is a sign that the blockage may have cut off the bowel's blood supply. This is called a bowel strangulation and requires emergency treatment. Call your health professional immediately.
• Bloating.
• Inability to pass stools or gas.

If you have had surgery to remove an obstruction, watch for signs of infection. Call your health professional if you develop a fever, the area around the wound looks red and feels hot, or liquid leaks from the wound.

Many cases of bowel obstruction cannot be prevented. However, a high-fiber diet and plenty of water can prevent constipation and possibly diverticulitis, which can cause narrowing of the large intestine. While it is important to avoid constipation, don't overuse laxatives. Ongoing constipation and laxative use are associated with obstructions caused by twisting of the sigmoid colon or cecum.³

If you have a colostomy as a result of bowel obstruction surgery, talk to your health professional about how to care for it and prevent infection and to learn what foods to eat to avoid excess gas.

Bowel disease: Caring for your ostomy