Acute Diverticulitis Symptoms

Published: 05th May 2010
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Diverticulitis is a condition that occurs when a Diverticulum ruptures and induces an infection in the tissues surrounding the colon. This description perhaps doesn't make any sense unless you are a medical student or have been researching diverticulitis; to understand it a bit of background information is needed so here goes.

A Diverticulum is a miniscule pouch in the walls of the bowels that gets pressed out as a person ages and the lining of the colon become thicker, leading to a rise in the pressure in the colon; a solitary sac is named a diverticulum while many sacs are dubbed diverticula.

Diverticula can happen in any section of the colon but is particularly common in the sigmoid colon, (the section right before the anus) as pressure rise often occurs there. When diverticula exist in an individual's colon, the person is said to have diverticulosis.

Diverticulosis commonly has only a little or no indications but if there are indications they may involve hemorrhaging, stomach pain and constipation. Other symptoms may consist of incidents of prickly pain or a sensation of pressure in the abdomen when air goes in and out of the diverticula; now we get to your definition once more, Diverticulitis is a state that occurs when a Diverticulum ruptures and causes an infection in the tissues about the colon.


A person who undergoes Diverticulitis normally has pain in the lower left abdomen, fever and has an increased white cell count if a blood examination is done; diverticulitis may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, pelvic sores, cramping, and bleeding.

An inflamed Diverticulum can result in a peritonitis infection which contaminates the lining of the abdominal cavity, if the Diverticulum separates; the severity of the symptomss associated with diverticulitis will be reliant on how severe the infection is and the area that is affected. Diverticulum can also get into the bladder and result in an infection that causes the passing of air while urinating.

Aside from the thickening of the colonic coating, another thing that can cause the development of Diverticulitis is a diet which is low in fiber; having inadequate fiber in the diet can lead to hard stools which are not easy to pass, and so increase the pressure within the colon; ultimately this may end in Diverticula.

The first time Diverticulitis happens, except it is serious it is normally remedied with antibiotics, bowel rest - meaning nothing is taken orally, and IV fluid resuscitation; a high-fiber diet will often be suggested to avoid the creation of additional diverticula. If the affected individual is feeling pains, anti-spasmodic drugs can be recommended.


If there are repeated assaults or intense complications, medical surgery to pull out the infected piece of the colon might be the only cure; if an operation is performed the individual will usually be initially prescribed a low-fiber menu to lessen the number of items that pass through the colon while the colon heals entirely. Once fully healed, patients are placed on a high-fiber diet to keep them consistent and to disallow recurrences of diverticulitis.

Please visit this link for more information on Diverticulitis Symptoms and this link for information on Colonoscopy Procedure

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