However, certain foods, drugs, alcohol, or microbial agents can inflame any region of the small intestine resulting in enteritis . Such inflammatory responses can be problematic. Since much of the water from intestinal contents is absorbed in the small intestine, failure of this water absorption can lead to dehydration and pH imbalances. Since the intestine is suspended and attached to the dorsal body wall by sheets of mesentery, the small intestine is in contact with the abdominal body wall. Herniation can cause bowel obstruction and can occlude the blood supply to the herniated protion resulting in death of a portion of the intestine.
Abdominal surgery can cause problems as the surgical incision heals and forms scar tissue.
Adhesions of the small intestine can cause the unattached, motile portions on each side of the adhesion to twist and turn with normal motility movements. These waste pigments normally are emptied into the small intestine for elimination with the feces and are responsible for the dark fecal coloration of normal stools. Once inflamed, the liver responds like any other organ with swelling. However, swelling of the liver results in compression obstruction of the internal bile ducts preventing bile flow along them. Similarly, crystalline stones can occur in the gallbladder and obstruct the cystic or common bile duct.