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.
If left untreated, diverticulitis may lead to a collection of pus (called an abscess) outside the colon wall or a generalized infection in the lining of the abdominal cavity, a condition referred to as peritonitis.
How Long Does the Pain From Diverticulitis Typically Last? For cases of acute diverticulitis, symptoms should ease rather quickly. “If it remains uncomplicated, which is usually the case, you should see some improvement in two to three days,” De Latour says.
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.
If left untreated, it will affect your ability to digest food and cause you considerable pain. Intestinal blockage from diverticular disease is very rare. Other causes, such as cancer, are more common. This is one of the reasons your GP will investigate your symptoms.
Symptoms of perforated Diverticulitis are listed below: Increased abdominal pain/tenderness. Rapid pulse. Rapid breathing.
Fever above 100.4°F (38°C) that does not go away. Nausea, vomiting, or chills. Sudden belly or back pain that gets worse or is very severe.
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.
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.
Can diverticulitis be cured? Diverticulitis can be treated and be healed with antibiotics. Surgery may be needed if you develop complications or if other treatment methods fail and your diverticulitis is severe. However, diverticulitis is generally considered to be a lifelong condition.
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.
Mild colonic diverticulitis can be treated without antibiotics.
If your symptoms are mild, you may be treated at home. Your doctor is likely to recommend: Antibiotics to treat infection, although new guidelines state that in very mild cases, they may not be needed. A liquid diet for a few days while your bowel heals.
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.
When you have acute diverticulitis, a perforated colon is not that unusual because diverticulitis causes tiny tears — perforations — in the colon walls. These tears can grow larger and become problematic. Colonic perforation can also be a life-threatening complication of recent colon surgery called anastomotic leakage.
However, you should seek immediate medical attention if your symptoms are not going away or you are feeling worse, such as having increasing pain, fever, bloody stools, or abdominal bloating with vomiting. Treatment depends on whether you have uncomplicated or complicated diverticulitis.
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.
In any case, if you experience any of the severe symptoms of diverticulitis or one of the symptoms that mimic something potentially more serious, you should go to the emergency room for treatment as soon as possible.
Complications of diverticulosis include stricture, bleeding, perforation and fistula formation [1]. Perforation as a result of infected diverticulitis often leads to intra-abdominal sepsis and peritonitis requiring emergency surgery [2].
The prevalence of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding has also been increasing[4]. Diverticulosis of the colon is often diagnosed during routine screening colonoscopy.
Diverticulitis can usually be treated at home with antibiotics prescribed by a GP. You can take paracetamol to help relieve any pain. Talk to a GP if paracetamol alone is not working. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, as they can cause stomach upsets.
Antibiotics are utilized for treating infections that can occur in acute diverticulitis. Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, metronidazole, amoxicillin-clavulanic, and moxifloxacin are typically prescribed to treat infection related to diverticulitis.
Patients with complications of their diverticulitis may have more chronic or long-term, symptoms. Thin stools or constipation may indicate the formation of a stricture. Dark, cloudy urine or passing air with the urine may indicate the formation of a fistula to the bladder.