Diverticulitis is the inflammation of small pouches which form in your intestine. They are mostly found in the lining of the intestine and at the end of the large intestine colon. These pouches are not harmful in nature and form inside the intestine automatically after the age of 40. Under normal conditions, these pouches do not interfere with biological activity and lie in the intestine. If you have these pouches then it’s called diverticulosis and If these pouches get infected or inflamed it lead to diverticulitis.
Diverticulosis is very common in old age people. If pouches get infected or inflamed then they cause severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and will disturb your bowel movement. Mild diverticulitis can be treated by self-care with sufficient rest and getting antibiotics while severe diverticulitis needs surgery.
Symptoms
Most of the times diverticulitis is very minor and painless. Some common symptoms are
- Abdominal pain
- Irregular bowel movement
- Cramping
- Blood in poop
- Fever
- Bowel obstruction
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Nausea and vomiting.
If diverticulitis does not get proper treatment then inflammation gets worse and leads to a bowel obstruction. It further causes constipation, diarrhea, and many other intestinal problems.
Consult your doctor
If you get any of the symptoms for a long time and you are unable to find reasons. Consult your doctor asap. Treatment on time can protect you from serious problems.
Causes
The major reason for diverticulitis is when the pouches get inflamed or their movement is blocked by feces. It occurs when pouches get torn and cause infection. Some other causes of diverticulitis are
- Excessive smoking
- Obesity
- Overweight
- Lack of physical activity
- Laziness
- Excessive fat and red meat
- Medication
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent diverticulitis:
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle- Get sufficient fiber in your diet. Avoid junk food, use good cooking oil. Consume more fiber-rich foods. Take Fruit and vegetables regularly in your meal.
- Exercise – Regular exercise or yoga is the best way to prevent many problems. Exercise promotes normal bowel function and detoxes your body by sweating.
- Get enough water- Consume 3-4 liter of water per day. It will maintain balance between fluid and electrolyte. Water also promote smooth passage and increase the softness in colon.
- Avoid smoking and fastfoods
Treatment
Diverticulitis is of two type
- Mild Diverticulitis
- Severe Diverticulitis
Treatment depends on the type of Diverticulitis.
For Mild diverticulitis
- Doctor give Antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection
- Get sufficient bed rest
- Have enough fluids
For severe diverticulitis
Surgery is used to treat the worse condition of diverticulitis. In surgery inflamed pouches get removed.
