If you don't treat it, diverticulitis can lead to serious complications that require surgery: Abscesses, collections of pus from the infection, may form around the infected diverticula. If these go through the intestinal wall, you could get peritonitis. This infection can be fatal.
For most people, diverticulitis won't affect their life span. Many people don't even know they have diverticular disease. Only a small percentage will have symptoms, and an even smaller number will have complications.
The illness can become life-threatening if other complications, such as infection, occur, requiring removal of part or all of the large intestine. Patients with mild diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics, as well as being put on a liquid diet.
If left untreated, diverticulitis may lead to a collection of pus (called an abscess) outside the colon wall or a generalized infection in the lining of the abdominal cavity, a condition referred to as peritonitis.
Symptoms of diverticulitis are more severe and often start suddenly, but they may become worse over a few days. They include: Tenderness, usually in the left lower part of the abdomen.
Symptoms of diverticulitis tend to be more serious and include: more severe abdominal pain, especially on the left side. high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above. diarrhoea or frequent bowel movements.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.
Diverticulitis. The most common symptom of diverticulitis is belly or abdominal pain. The most common sign that you have it is feeling sore or sensitive on the left side of your lower belly. If infection is the cause, then you may have fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, cramping, and constipation.
The treatment of diverticulitis depends on how serious the symptoms are. Some people may need to be in the hospital, but most of the time, the problem can be treated at home.
You should present to your emergency department should you develop fever, worsening or severe abdominal pain, or become unable to tolerate fluids. Diverticulitis can often become a medical emergency, requiring immediate medical attention and admission to hospital.
Perforation as a result of infected diverticulitis often leads to intra-abdominal sepsis and peritonitis requiring emergency surgery [2]. Uncommonly diverticulitis perforates into the anterior abdominal wall or retroperitoneum causing spreading infection that may require massive debridement [3,4].
Diverticulosis: You can have it for years and never know — if you take care of yourself. About one or two percent of patients under 30 experience diverticulosis while people age 60 and older have some degree of the condition.
Generally, it's not a cause for concern. Diverticulosis by itself typically doesn't trigger any symptoms. Rarely, diverticula may bleed, causing blood in the stool. As in your case, diverticulosis is often found during a routine colonoscopy or on an imaging exam, such as a CT scan, that's done for another reason.
In most cases of surgery for diverticulitis, a colostomy is not required.
Mild cases of diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics and a low-fiber diet, or treatment may start with a period of rest where you eat nothing by mouth, then start with clear liquids and then move to a low-fiber diet until your condition improves. More-severe cases typically require hospitalization.
Fresh fruits, like apples, have the most fiber when eaten with the skin. 13 However, if you're having symptoms of diverticulitis, look for lower-fiber options, like applesauce. Bananas are another good source of fruit fiber.
A Developing Problem
When stress is added to the overall picture, the problem of diverticulitis becomes an issue. This is due to the body impulses that will immediately address stressful situations by shifting the oxygen and blood from the digestive tract to the brain and muscles.
Other symptoms of diverticulitis can include: a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above. a general feeling of being tired and unwell.
“Eggs are a great source of protein, and they're easily digested,” Dr. Nazarian says. And they won't irritate your diverticula.
Stage IV: Fecal peritonitis results from the free perforation of a diverticulum.