Low Potassium Symptoms (Hypokalemia); What are Potassium Deficiency Symptoms?

8) Hypoactive Bowel Sounds

When doctors suspect a reduction of bowel movements or intestinal obstruction, they will look for this important sign. Hypoactive bowel sounds result from reduced gastric motility or ileus. Both conditions are potentially dangerous and are associated with a distended abdomen.

This is a sign collected in a physical exam by a skilled physician. To ascertain that you have hypoactive bowel sounds, you need to use a stethoscope to ensure that you’re not missing any of them and count them for a minute. If there are four or fewer bowel movements per minute, you can say that bowel sounds are hypoactive.