Other symptoms of diverticulitis can include: a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above. a general feeling of being tired and unwell.
The most common symptom of diverticular disease is intermittent (stop-start) pain in your lower abdomen (stomach), usually in the lower left-hand side. The pain is often worse when you are eating, or shortly afterwards. Passing stools and breaking wind (flatulence) may help relieve the pain.
You may still tire easily for several months as your body finishes the healing process. You should be sure to rest whenever you feel fatigued. You may be able to resume normal activities after 4 weeks, but should expect to take time off from work for 4-6 weeks.
Diverticulitis Recovery Time
This can take as long as two weeks. But, you'll begin to feel better in as short as 24-hours. If you experience any complications or must receive surgery, your recovery time will take longer. After surgery, you'll be able to return to normal activities within one to two weeks.
Your doctor can usually treat diverticulitis with a special diet, plenty of rest, and, in some cases, antibiotic medica- tions. Once treated, most people start feeling better within a few days. Approximately 20% of patients will have another flare-up, or recurrence. This usually happens within 5 years.
Along with dietary restrictions, bed rest has been part of the routine treatment of acute diverticulitis.
A liquid diet and rest are usually the best ways to ease diverticulitis symptoms. If there is a bleed within the intestines you may need to be hospitalized. Only in severe cases is surgery needed to remove the diseased pouches. With the proper care, diverticulosis symptoms may go away within in a few days.
In serious cases, diverticulitis can lead to bleeding, tears, or blockages. Your doctor will do a physical exam and imaging tests to diagnose it. Treatment may include antibiotics, pain relievers, and a liquid diet. A serious case may require a hospital stay or surgery.
You have about five feet of colon, and most patients can live a normal, healthy life without the sigmoid section, which is about one foot long.
You may be too exhausted even to manage your daily affairs. In most cases, there's a reason for the fatigue. It might be allergic rhinitis, anemia, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease (COPD), a bacterial or viral infection, or some other health condition.
Many possible factors cause chronic fatigue, such as underlying medical conditions, nutrient deficiencies, sleep disturbances, caffeine intake, and chronic stress. If you're experiencing unexplained fatigue, it's important to talk with your doctor to find the cause.
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.
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.
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.
Taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) as directed can take the edge off your pain and help you feel better. Other pain relievers might be your preferred drugs of choice. But when it comes to diverticulitis, acetaminophen is your best bet.
Most people with diverticulitis recover completely. But, at its most severe, a pouch can burst open, spilling fecal matter directly into a person's bloodstream. This results in an immediate risk of developing a blood infection called sepsis, which can be life-threatening.
Historically, surgery was advised after two attacks of uncomplicated diverticulitis and after one attack in patients younger than 40 years [16].
Even among those who do develop diverticulitis, most recover uneventfully, typically after seven to 10 days of oral antibiotics. And fewer than one in five experience a recurrence.
If the symptoms don't improve within a few days, the risk of serious complications increases. Surgery is then recommended. People who already have an intestinal perforation or peritonitis need to have surgery immediately. Both of these conditions are medical emergencies.
Symptoms of Diverticular Disease
Diverticulitis (flare-up) occurs when the diverticula become inflamed and/or infected. There might be an increase in diarrhea, cramping, and bowel irritability, and symptoms can include intense pain, abdominal cramping, bleeding, bloating, and fever.
Complicated diverticulitis
If you have a severe attack or have other health problems, you'll likely need to be hospitalized. Treatment generally involves: Intravenous antibiotics. Insertion of a tube to drain an abdominal abscess, if one has formed.
Diverticular Disease
In addition, vigorous exercise can significantly reduce an individual's risk for the disease. In a recently-published 18-year study of approximately 50,000 US males aged 40-75 years, researchers found a lower incidence of diverticular disease complications in those who were physically active.
Rest will be necessary for a few days until your digestive system can get back on track and the infection in under control. You may need to miss work for a few days to rest and deal with the abdominal discomfort.
It's long been known that frequent physical activity can prevent diverticulitis symptoms. An often-sourced study from 2009, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found that vigorous activity lowered the risk of diverticulitis and GI bleeding.