Acute diverticulitis occurs when diverticulums, which are small pockets that form in the intestine, become inflamed.
The most common symptoms are listed below, so if you think you have acute diverticulitis, check how you feel about your risk of having this problem:
- When these symptoms appear.
- You should go to the emergency room or consult a gastroenterologist for tests such as CT scans.
- Ultrasounds.
- Or colonoscopies to diagnose the problem and begin appropriate treatment.
Diverticulitis is generally more common in people over the age of 40 who have diverticulosis, constipation or overweight.In addition, if there are cases of diverticulosis in the family, there is also an increased risk of diverticulitis.
Some of the symptoms of diverticulitis are also characteristic of other diseases of the gastrointestinal system such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or appendicitis; However, some differences can help more accurately identify the true cause of symptoms:
In all cases, diagnostic tests, such as an abdominal CT scan or colonoscopy, are required to confirm the diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment.
Treatment of acute diverticulitis should be guided by a gastroenterologist or general surgeon and can be done at home with antibiotic remedies, for about 10 days, and taking painkillers to reduce abdominal pain.
During the treatment of diverticulitis, it is recommended to rest and first, for 3 days, eat a liquid diet, slowly adding solid food.After treating diverticulitis, it is important to have a high fiber diet, guided by a nutritionist, to improve function intestinal tract and prevent diverticula from reigniting. Read the advice of our nutritionist:
In more severe cases, where diverticulum is perforated, which can lead to complications such as peritonitis or a widespread infection of the body, surgery may be used to remove the affected area.Learn more about treating diverticulitis.
The causes of diverticulitis are not yet known, but some factors increase an individual’s risk of developing diverticulums in the gut and, therefore, of diverticulitis igniting and leading to diverticulitis, such as:
To assess whether the diverticula already exist, a colonoscopy should be performed to evaluate the entire interior of the intestine. Find out how this exam works and how to prepare for it.