Diverticulitis: What are the risks, reasons and ways of treatment? Diverticula Are small bags, pouches or blisters growing in the intestine or digestive tract? There are two stages of this condition. In the first stage, the sacs are formed, and it pains now and then. This condition is called Diverticulosis. If the pain in abdomen is not taken seriously and treated, the sacs tend to infect or inflame and this condition is Diverticulitis. This is treatable, but in most cases, diverticulitis recurs. These are the two stages of diverticulitis.
What are the causes for Diverticulitis? Well, not even doctors know the specific reason for the condition. But they do think that low-fiber diet might be the reason. Taking food with proper hydration softens stools. Soft stools are easier to pass. Besides water, fiber adds bulk to stool and makes easier to pass. With no fiber adding bulk, the colony has to work hard to push the stool. This hard work needs a lot of pressure which might result in forming pouches in weak spots in the colony. Probably, bacteria grow in the pouches, and they get infected or inflamed.
What are the risks involved? Constipation embeds strain on your intestine muscles. Constant stressing grows the risk chances of getting some diverticula. As said, once they appear in the stools get in them and bacteria keeps infecting them and inflame. Even people who are obese have relatively higher risks of growing diverticula. Some studies indicate that a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference added up to fiber deficient food in growing the diverticula. What are the symptoms of diverticulitis? Pain on the lower left side of the abdomen or anywhere in the abdomen can be a symptom of diverticulitis. The pain is likely to develop more. Some more symptoms are: ● Fever and chills ● Bloating and gas ● Diarrhea ● Loss of appetite ● Nausea ● Vomits ● Constipation ● Rectal bleeding ● Not feeling like eating How can diverticulitis be diagnosed? The doctor might start with asking you for some physical pain in the abdominal region. He will ask you to check for blood leaves in the stool. He might also to look out for rectal bleeding. Sometimes, blood test can also be conducted to check the White Blood Cells count. If they are higher in number than normal, it does indicate an infection. In cases of severities in pain, a CT scan might be issued to look for infections in digestive tract. How can diverticulitis be treated? After the diagnosis, the doctor will suggest you the best possible way of treating it. Based on the seriousness of infection, you might be asked to
treat it yourself at home or you might be asked to join the hospital for a surgery. Treatment at home: Only first timers are mostly asked to treat themselves at home. You will have to take only liquids for the starters. Solid foods are forbidden. ● ● ● ●
Bed rest for days or weeks. Use heat bags now and then on your belly. Try and relax. Take the prescribed antibiotics with the correct prescriptions.
Treatment at hospital: In case if none of the above worked in getting off the pain, you will have to join the hospital. Usually even the hospital treatment takes only few days before you’re back to normal but sometimes longer. Sometimes even after dealing with all this, diverticulitis recurs or the infections in your body don’t respond to the antibiotics prescribed for a long time. In such cases to avoid further deterioration, a surgery might be considered. Recovery from this is totally up to an individual and his/her lifestyle. What are the ways to stay off the diverticulitis? To start with, taking food with fiber content is the most important measure. Tagging a 30 minutes exercise on the daily base would be more helpful. Also, attending the nature’s call when asked for is very important to avoid constipation and diverticulitis kind of stuff. Having at least 6 liters of water everyday will force push the stool and everything and you will be healthy.