Only a small percentage of people will have complicated diverticulitis, and only a small percentage of those will need surgery. In most cases, even complicated diverticulitis resolves quickly and completely with treatment. Diverticulitis shouldn't affect your overall life expectancy.
Once the sacs develop, they don't heal on their own, and they don't go away. We can cure diverticulosis by performing surgery to remove the sacs. But if you don't have symptoms and an infection doesn't develop, there's no reason to treat the condition at all, much less undergo surgery.
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.
If pain is severe or if there's a risk of a significant tear (perforation) in the colon wall, hospitalization may be necessary for close monitoring and intravenous antibiotics. About 30 to 40 percent of people who have diverticulitis once will never develop it again.
Diverticular disease is caused by small bulges in the large intestine (diverticula) developing and becoming inflamed. If any of the diverticula become infected, this leads to symptoms of diverticulitis. The exact reason why diverticula develop is not known, but they are associated with not eating enough fibre.
After you go home, you may have diarrhea on and off during the first month. It takes about three months for the bowels to learn their “new normal.” You'll need to avoid heavy lifting for six to eight weeks to prevent a hernia.
CAUSES. The most commonly accepted theory for the formation of diverticulosis is related to high pressure within the colon, which causes weak areas of the colon wall to bulge out and form the sacs. A diet low in fiber and high in red meat may also play a role.
Physical adaptation to a severe social stress possibly generates sustained dominance of the sympathetic over the parasympathetic activity, leading through a prolonged spasm of the sigmoid to the creation of diverticula and the related disease.
As you age, your risk of developing diverticular disease increases even further. Most people who have this condition, also known as diverticulosis, never know it, because the diverticula do not usually cause any major symptoms or complications. Occasionally, though, these pockets become painfully infected.
Most people with diverticulitis will not need surgery. The condition can usually be treated with antibiotics, fiber, and probiotics. When these treatments fail to reduce symptoms, doctors may recommend surgical removal of the infected part of the colon.
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.
Once diverticula form, they do not disappear by themselves. Fortunately, most patients with diverticulosis do not have symptoms, and therefore do not need treatment.
Diverticulitis is treated using diet modifications, antibiotics, and possibly surgery. Mild diverticulitis infection may be treated with bed rest, stool softeners, a liquid diet, antibiotics to fight the infection, and possibly antispasmodic drugs.
Pay attention to symptoms and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Stay away from nuts and seeds, and don't eat popcorn — that's what doctors said years ago if you had diverticulosis, a condition marked by tiny pouches (diverticula) that develop in the lining of the colon.
Having diverticula is called diverticulosis. It's common as you get older, and most people never have any problems with it. But if one of your diverticula becomes inflamed, it can cause acute pain and other symptoms. It might mean that it has an infection, which needs medical attention.
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.
Brock Lesnar is incredibly lucky to be alive. Diverticulitis, left untreated can lead to serious problems. Surgeons have said that the damage Lesnar had from the illness showed that he went undiagnosed with it for a year, and he had many fights in the octagon while he was undiagnosed with diverticulitis.
Alcohol may lead to gastric irritation and trigger diverticulitis symptoms. Consumption of alcohol may also increase the frequency of flare-ups. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have diverticulitis symptoms. They may advise you to avoid alcohol completely to prevent the condition from worsening.
It's also best to avoid raw foods, especially salads, and opt for soft or cooked vegetables and fruit instead. As inflammation eases, you'll be advised to gradually wean yourself back onto a higher fibre intake to help make your bowel movements more comfortable and prevent constipation and more pouches from developing.