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.
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.
Diverticula usually develop when naturally weak places in your colon give way under pressure. This causes marble-sized pouches to protrude through the colon wall. Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula tear, resulting in inflammation, and in some cases, infection.
The pain caused by diverticulitis is typically severe and comes on suddenly, although the pain may also be mild and worsen over several days. The intensity of the pain may change over time.
When infection of the diverticulum occurs, it can manifest with a spectrum of symptoms such as pain, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and bloody stools. Right-sided diverticulitis (RSD) may mimic several abdominal emergencies such as cholecystitis, appendicitis or epiploic appendagitis.
Recovering from a flare-up of diverticulitis could take as long as two weeks. 1 The first few days of recovering from uncomplicated diverticulitis at home will include following a liquid diet, resting, and using recommended medications for pain relief.
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.
Diverticulitis stool characteristics
Color: The stool may be bright red, maroon, or black and tarry, which indicates the presence of blood. Stools may contain more mucus than normal. Odor: The stool odor may be increasingly foul compared to the typical smell.
Other pain relievers might be your preferred drugs of choice. But when it comes to diverticulitis, acetaminophen is your best bet. This is because ibuprofen and aspirin can cause abdominal pain and make an already upset stomach feel worse.
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.
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.
Severe diverticulitis symptoms, including sudden, intense, and continuing lower-abdominal or low-back pain, ongoing fever, excessive nausea and vomiting, persistent diarrhea, and blood in your stools, indicate you might need to go to the hospital.
In most patients, the pain is sharp and severe, but some patients report only mild discomfort. People may also experience fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If left untreated, diverticulitis can lead to perforation, peritonitis, stricture and rectal bleeding.
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.
You may have heard advice that people with diverticular disease should avoid small, sharp and hard foods such as nuts, seeds and corn. The thinking is that there is a risk of undigested remnants of these foods lodging in the diverticula and causing inflammation.
Other symptoms of diverticulitis can include: a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above. a general feeling of being tired and unwell.
One of the most common diverticulitis symptoms is abdominal pain on your lower left or right side. Diverticulitis pain can get worse when you sleep or exercise. The pain might be managed with changes in diet and medications.
Summary. Using a heating pad, taking Tylenol (acetaminophen), and resting are all strategies you can employ at home to soothe diverticulitis pain fast—or at least faster. Home remedies used for diverticulitis are more often used to improve symptoms over some time and prevent future attacks.
Once diverticula form, they do not disappear by themselves. Fortunately, most patients with diverticulosis do not have symptoms, and therefore do not need treatment.
If they become inflamed (diverticulitis), they cause sudden dull pain in the abdomen, accompanied by a mild fever. Other symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, nausea and sometimes cramping too.
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.