Abdominal sounds

The following are a list of more serious conditions that can cause abnormal bowel sounds.

Hyperactive, hypoactive, or absent bowel sounds:

• Mechanical bowel obstructionis caused by hernia, tumor, adhesions, or similar conditions that can physically block the intestines.
• Blocked blood vesselsprevent the intestines from getting proper blood floow.For example, blood clots can cause mesenteric artery occlusion.
• Paralytic ileus is a problem with the nerves to the intestines. Reduced nerve activity can result from infection, overdistended bowel, trauma, bowel obstruction, vascular obstruction, and chemical imbalances such as hypokalemia.

Other causes of hypoactive bowel sounds:

• Drugs that reduce intestinal movements such as opiates (including codeine), anticholinergics, and phenothiazines
• General anesthesia
• Spinal anesthesia
• Irradiation of the abdomen (radiation therapy for cancer)
• Surgery in the abdomen (may cause reduced bowel sounds for 1 to 5 days)

Other causes of hyperactive bowel sounds:

• Diarrhea
• Crohn's disease
• GI bleeding
• Ulcerative colitis
• Food allergy
• Infectious enteritis

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