The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Hirschsprung's disease includes the 25 symptoms listed below:
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Clinical effects usually appear shortly after birth, but mild symptoms may not be recognized until later in childhood or during adolescence (usually) or adulthood (rarely). The neonate with Hirschsprung’s disease commonly fails to pass meconium within 24 to 48 hours, shows signs of obstruction (bile-stained or fecal vomiting and abdominal distention), irritability, feeding difficulties (poor sucking and refusal to take feedings), failure to thrive, dehydration (pallor, loss of skin turgor, dry mucous membranes, and sunken eyes), and overflow diarrhea. The infant may also exhibit abdominal distention that causes rapid breathing and grunting. Rectal examination, which may temporarily relieve GI symptoms, reveals a rectum empty of stool and, when the examining finger is withdrawn, an explosive gush of malodorous gas and liquid stool. In infants, the main cause of death is enterocolitis, caused by fecal stagnation that leads to bacterial overgrowth, production of bacterial toxins, intestinal irritation, profuse diarrhea, hypovolemic shock, and perforation.
The older child has intractable constipation (usually requiring laxatives and enemas), abdominal distention, and easily palpated fecal masses. In severe cases, failure to grow is characterized by wasted extremities and loss of subcutaneous tissue, with a large protuberant abdomen.
Adult megacolon, although rare, usually affects men. Patients have abdominal distention, rectal bleeding (rare), and a history of chronic intermittent constipation. They’re generally in poor physical condition.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Symptoms of HD usually show up in very young children. But sometimes they don't appear until the person is a teenager or an adult. The symptoms are a little different for different ages.
Symptoms in newborns
Newborns with HD don't have their first bowel movement when they should. These babies may also throw up a green liquid called bile after eating and their abdomens may swell. Discomfort from gas or constipation might make them fussy. Sometimes, babies with HD develop infections in their intestines.
Symptoms in young children
Most children with HD have always had severe problems with constipation. Some also have more diarrhea than usual. Children with HD might also have anemia , a shortage of red blood cells, because blood is lost in the stool. Also, many babies with HD grow and develop more slowly than they should.
Symptoms in teenagers and adults
Like younger children, teenagers and adults with HD usually have had severe constipation all their lives. They might also have anemia. (Source: excerpt from What I need to know about Hirschsprung's disease: NIDDK)
Symptoms of HD include
When considering symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease, it is also important to consider Hirschsprung's disease as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Hirschsprung's disease may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
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The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease. This signs and symptoms information for Hirschsprung's disease has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Hirschsprung's disease signs or Hirschsprung's disease symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Hirschsprung's disease symptoms.
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