Hirschsprung disease is a disease of the large intestine that creates constipation or intestinal obstruction. When a person has constipation, the stool moves slower through the intestines than normal. Some people with Hirschsprung's disease are unable to pass stool at all which means that there is a complete blockage of the intestines, which is called, intestinal obstruction. People with this disease are born with it and are typically diagnosed when they are infants. Having this disease in adulthood is very rare.
Hirschsprungs disease causes constipation because there is a lack of nerve cells in a part or sometimes even all of the large intestine. Nerve cells in the large intestine push the stool out into the anus but without this push signal, the waste product remains in the large intestines. Before birth, never cells grow along both intestines towards the direction of the anus. If someone has Hirshsprungs disease, the nerve cells stop growing too soon. This disease is due to genetics. (My Dads, cousins, son, had Hirshsprungs disease as well)
Newborns with Hirschprungs disease will most of the time be unable to have their first bowel movement within 48 hours after birth. Some symptoms that may also occur are green or brown vomit, swelling of the abdomen, a lot of gas, and bloody diarrhea. If the child is older some symptoms that may occur would be, unable to pass stools without laxatives, swelling of the abdomen, a lot of gas, bloody diarrhea, slow growth or development, and a lack of energy because of a shortage of red blood cells which is also known as anemia. Of course, see your doctor immediately if any of these signs show.
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