What is it?
Diverticulitis
- Small inflamed (hot, red and swollen) painful pouches (Diverticula) that appear like lumps that stick out at the side of large intestine (colon).
- This is caused because stools enter these pouches and bad bacteria breed in these pouches.
- The split is caused when a hard stool gets stuck in the colon and allows bacteria to multiply and spread causing infection and inflammation (hot , red and swelling in parts of the large intestine).
- The colon can split causing a severe infection (Peritonitis).
Diverticular disease
- When these pouches/lumps (Diverticula) are formed but are not inflamed or causing an infection.
Both conditions are very common
- Diverticula generally occur in the colon, which is part of the large intestine mainly in sigmoid part of the colon (large intestine that is connected to the rectum).
- The sigmoid colon is located on the left side of the abdomen, which is why diverticulitis is often associated with abdominal pain on that side.
Cause
- As one gets older
- Weak points in the colon (large intestine) muscles forming lumps/pouches
- may be an imbalance of bacterial flora leading to diverticulitis (drinking good bacteria yogurts/live yogurts may help)
- Poor diet: high sugar and low fibre diet- however this is debatable (One needs to increase their fibre intake if suitable)
- Smoking
- Overweight or obese
- Lack of exercise
- Family history
- History of constipation conditions
- Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome
Medication
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain and/or are constant violently vomiting or vomiting longer than two days (one day if a child)- mainly on the left hand side, In Asians pain moves to lower right hand side of abdomen)?
- High temperature greater than 38°C (100°F) or over and/or chills and sweats longer than 72 hours?
- Increase thirst, heavy sweating and need to urinate frequently?
- Pain when urinating?
- Change in bowel greater than three weeks i.e. going to the toilet more often or less often than usual?
- Nausea feeling?
- Constipation and sometimes diarrhoea?
- Rectal bleeding?
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Medical Emergency Condition
And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:
This condition can lead to:
Small fistulas don’t usually cause symptoms. However, larger fistulas can become infected and cause symptoms, such as:
- Constant, throbbing pain?
- High temperature (fever) of 38C (100F) or above?
- Blood or pus in your stools?
- Foul smelling leakage of stools or mucus into your underwear?
During an Attack
- Consider a liquid diet without fibre (this will reduce the amount of undigested food passing through the bowels so that you make smaller amounts of stool).
- Keep hydrated
- As one start to feel better, you can begin introducing low-fiber foods into your diet one needs fibre to push food through gently but at the same time not make ones diverticulitis/diverticular disease worst).
After Recovery
- Gradually adding fibre back into your diet to normalize your bowel movements and avoid constipation.
This condition may show similar symptoms to:
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Diverticulitis and Diverticular Disease in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
- NHS
Find information and advice on health conditions, symptoms, healthy living, medicines and how to get help (British National Health Service).
- Medscape
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- Pharmaceutical Journal
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- Healthline
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- Medical News Today
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- WebMD
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- Cleveland Clinic
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- Mayo Clinic
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- Drugs.com
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- National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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- Verywell Health
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- Fit for Travel
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- DR Axe
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