Of all the diverticular diseases that plague people today, diverticulitis is the most common. The condition is a gastrointestinal disease that affects the large intestines and that may lead to its inflammation. Medics are not yet sure what exactly triggers the condition but the risk factors associated with it include inadequate exercise, smoking, genetics, and obesity. Doctors think the primary cause of diverticulitis is a low-fiber diet. So, to stave off this condition, eat a diet rich in fiber. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber.
Diverticulitis is usually diagnosed through CT scans, blood tests, and colonoscopy. Most people who develop the condition are usually over the age of 50. It’s frequency of occurrence in the Western world is about 35%.
Most people with the condition don’t have any symptoms, but some people do have them.
Below are the common symptoms of Diverticulitis:
1. Intestinal Obstruction
One of the main symptoms of diverticulitis is the intestines being functionally obstructed thereby hindering the free flow of digestion products in the digestive tract. The obstruction of large intestines by Diverticulitis will make a patient experience abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting and the need to pass gas.
The intensity of the symptoms will depend on the degree to which the large intestines are obstructed. At the onset, before it gets severe, a patient will feel localized pain in the abdominal area that is experienced in short intermittent spasms. In intense cases, the spasms last much longer.
These spasms can be frightening if the patient has never experienced them before.
Obstruction of the large intestines by Diverticulitis can be accurately diagnosed using CT scans. Where CT scans can’t be used, a medic may resort to MRI or ultrasound. Alleviation of this symptom can be done conservatively or through operative treatment.