Comprehensive Causes And Risk Factors For Blind Loop Syndrome

Abdominal Radiation Therapy

Patients undergoing abdominal radiation therapy to treat cancer or other diseases are at an increased risk of developing blind loop syndrome. Radiation therapy is the use of precisely positioned high-energy beams that cause damage to cancerous or other problematic cells, making it difficult for them to reproduce. While radiation is very helpful in the eradication of cancers and other diseases, it also has adverse effects on healthy cells surrounding the treatment area. When radiation therapy is being applied to the abdominal region, it can cause the sensitive mucosal cells of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine to become inflamed. Swelling often occurs along with the tissue inflammation due to acute mucosal injury. This can slow the movement of food through the small intestine, and it allows for bacterial overgrowth from a production shortage of bile salt and digestive enzymes. The risk of developing blind loop syndrome increases because of the favorable environment for bacteria to fester formed by radiation therapy.