Diverticulosis

Diverticulosis is a disorder that occurs when small bags or sacs have formed that push outward through the weak points in the wall of your colon. In diverticulitis, one or more of the pouches on the wall of your colon become inflamed.

Symptoms and Causes

In diverticulitis, one or more of the pouches on the wall of your colon become inflamed.

The most common and severe signs of diverticulitis are lower abdominal pain that can occur quite suddenly. This pain can get worse within a few days. Other symptoms of possible diverticulitis are listed according to their likelihood:

• • Abdominal discomfort, usually in the lower left area
  • nausea
  • Vomit
  • constipation
  • fever
  • Flatulence or a feeling of fullness

ddiarrhoea

• anorexia
• rectal bleeding

Risk Factors

Risk factors for diverticulitis include:

Inadequate intake of fiber

In countries like the United States, where much of the population eats processed foods, inadequate dietary fiber is a frequent problem. Taking nutritional fiber supplements or eating more fresh vegetables and bran may help.

Diagnosis

Your doctor can detect pouches in the wall of your colon when you test for other reasons. Your doctor will ask about the medical history of the patient.

Physical tests and examinations such as blood test and ultrasound are done to analyze the situation of intestines.

Treatment and Management

• Ingest fibers, probiotics, and medicines.
• Take proper rest, oral antibiotics, and a liquid diet.

Home treatment

Treatment at home may include:

• bed rest
• a liquid food, so that the diverticula can heal
• prescription antibiotics
• Pain medications like acetaminophen

At the hospital:

• If severe cases, infused drugs are given to the patient.
• In case of an abscess, needle draining is done to the patient for the removal of pus.

Surgical intervention

In case of frequent diverticulosis, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the part of the intestine in which diverticula are infected.