Diverticulitis - Cause, Symptoms, and Treatment
The diverticulitis is where there is an infection caused or an inflammatory reaction in the pouches that are located in the digestive passage. The diverticular disease though starts with almost no complication it can later lead to serious medical conditions that may make the diverticula infectious.
The diverticula are the small unharmful pouches that can show up in the gastrointestinal tract. Having these pouches in your body is called diverticulosis. Inflammation or infection inside the diverticulosis is diverticulitis. But in most cases, diverticulitis is mostly a minor case. But if the infection continues and the person does not get the treatment it may lead to rupture in the system or having a chronic infection inside the bowel system.
The below article covers the different causes, risk factors, and other important information which one should be aware of. If someone thinks that they are the risk of diverticulitis they should consider going to the gastroenterologist, going to the emergency department, or going to the primary care provider.
Though the diverticulitis doesn't cause much discomfort to the body, it can become very painful with the could of time. Though the mild symptoms go away with time without any treatment if the problems keep on increasing and become chronic the person should visit a doctor as soon as possible.
Causes Of Diverticulitis
The pain of diverticulitis is often described as a sharp and stabbing pain on the lower abdomen left side. The causes of the inflammation in the diverticula can be because of the following reasons:
One cause that is considered in most of the cases is the less intake of fiber in the diet. Not having enough fiber may make your stool and cause pressure on the muscles of the colon. This pressure can be the reason for the development of diverticula.
As the inner layer gets squeezed these diverticula can be formed. However, this is one of the concepts that could be or could not be the cause behind diverticulitis. The pouches that are formed are mostly small about the size of a marble and this disease occurs when these pouches are torn off which may cause severe inflammation or a chronic infection.
No single cause for diverticulitis has been pinned on and the cause for this disease is one of the debated topics above medical professionals. Visit a gastroenterologist or any other medical professional who will guide you with the reason passage for the treatment including all the medications and diet.
Risk Factors For Diverticulitis
Several factors might contribute to the risk of diverticulitis. Having a tear in the diverticula which leads to diverticular bleeding is known as diverticulitis. Risk factors that can be associated with this disease are as follows:
- Taking medications: Diverticular bleeding can also occur as a side effect of any medication that you could be taking. Some of the drugs which have often been associated with diverticulitis are Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (which include ibuprofen or naproxen sodium), steroids, or even opioids.
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- Aging: With time the risk for this disease can also increase
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- Obesity: Accumulation of fat is known as obesity. Being very overweight can increase your chances of developing diverticulitis.
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- Having Too Much Animal Fat And Less Fiber: A combination of too much animal fat and less portion of fiber can pull up your chances of diverticular bleeding in your colon. Though not a lot of evidence has been reported on this statement it is often shown as the case.
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- Lack Of Physical Exercises: Your body always needs an active lifestyle to be healthy. Exercises such as running, swimming, or hiking can lower the possibility of diverticular bleeding in your body.
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- Smoking: According to a survey conducted in various participants it was shown that the ratio of smokers who were suffering from this disease was much more than the ones who were non-smokers.
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Complications That May Arise
About one-fourth of the people have always been reported to be suffering from diverticulitis. Some of the complications that may arise because of this disease are:
- Peritonitis. This can especially occur is the patient’s diverticula get ruptured because of the infection or the inflammation. These ruptured contents go to the abdominal cavity. This medical condition is an urgent or case of an emergency and a doctor should be attended to it immediately.
[/*]- An abscess can occur in the pouch because of the collection of the pus.
[/*]- A fistula (a passage formed within or on the inside portion) is formed in between the sections of the organs which constitute the bowel system.
[/*]- Blockage in the bowel system because of the scarring process.
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Patients should always look out for the symptoms of diverticulitis and get it diagnosed immediately.
Surgery For Diverticulitis
There are times that the doctor might ask the patients to go for a surgical procedure if the process gets too complicated. The two surgeries that the doctor can advise their patients for are:
- Bowel Resection with Colostomy
[/*]- Bowel Resection With Anastomosis
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In the process of colostomy, the infection color parts are removed and the healthy part is then attached to the opening of the abdominal region. In the anastomosis process parts of the colon which get infected are removed from the body and then the healthy portions are sewed together.
Role Of Your Lifestyle And Diet In The Disease
Though not much has been found out regarding the diet and the lifestyle which could play a role in the disease there are some foods which should be taken while some which should be eliminated.
- Doctors often ask to reduce the fiber foods during the acute stage
[/*]- Solid food is often avoided
[/*]- Liquid food is appreciated
[/*]- With gradual improvement, there can be a shift in the diet chart plan as the doctor asks you to take more fiber food.
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Prevention Of the Disease
Though a lot remains to be searched for there are some modifications that the patient can make to reduce the risk of diverticulitis.
- Get more physical exercise
[/*]- Maintain the proper body mass index
[/*]- Get exposed to the early rays of the sun for Vitamin D
[/*]- Follow a high fiber diet
[/*]- Avoid smoking
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Symptoms or Signs Of Diverticulitis
The most common symptom that is the first to be experienced is the pain in the abdomen. But abdominal pain can be the symptom of other diseases too. Some of the signs that are usually noticed when a person is suffering from the inflammation in the
diverticula are as follows:
- Severe Abdominal pain (mostly on the lower side)
[/*]- Constipation
[/*]- Bloating
[/*]- Constipation
[/*]- Bleeding in the rectum
[/*]- Fever
[/*]- Rigors
[/*]- Vomiting
[/*]- Nausea
[/*]- Constant pain
[/*]- Blood in the stools
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How is the Diagnosis Of The Diverticulitis Done?
Inform your doctor about your medical history so that the doctor can ask you if any tests should be done for the confirmation of the disease. Some of the tests that the doctor might perform are as follows:
- To get the imaging of your GIT the doctor might ask you to undergo the ultrasound, MRI scan, X-ray and CT scan of the abdominal portion
[/*]- Pregnancy test
[/*]- Colonoscopy
[/*]- Pelvic exam in women
[/*]- Urine test to check for any urinary tract infections
[/*]- Blood tests to rule out the possibility of infection in the kidneys or the liver
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Treatment Of Diverticulitis
Treatment can vary from patient to patient as it depends on the severity of the condition. If the case has not been structured to be very complicated then the doctor might ask you to stay at home and make some changes in your diet and prescribe you with antibiotics.
If there are chances of complications or it has already occurred then the patient will be admitted to the hospital and will be on the IV line.
Keywords
Diverticulosis
Diverticular disease
Diverticular bleeding
Diverticula
Symptoms of Diverticulitis
Diagnosis Of Diverticulitis
Treatment of Diverticulitis
Causes of Diverticulitis
Meta Description
Diverticulitis is the inflammation or infections which could take place in the diverticula of the GIT. The colon region might get infected by it and lead to complications.
