| DiverticulitisBy Ricky Parker |
Diverticulitis develops from a condition called diverticulosis. It arises due to the increases in inflammation and infection in one or more diverticula. Diverticula are outpouchings or bulges which occur when the inner, lining layer of the large intestine (colon) bulges out through the outer, muscular layer. The presence of diverticula indicates a condition called diverticulosis.
Diverticula tend to occur most frequently in the last segment of the large intestine, the sigmoid colon. They occur with decreasing frequency as an examination moves toward the beginning of the large intestine. It increases with age, the age of 50, about 20-50% of people will have some diverticula. By the age of 90, virtually everyone will have developed some diverticula measure 3-30mm in diameter.
The great majority of people with diverticulosis will remain symptom-free. Many diverticula are quit accidentally discovered during examination for other conditions of the intestinal tract.
Signs and Symptoms
Diverticulities symptoms can feel like appendicitis, except you will generally have a pain in the lower left side of your abdomen. The pain is usually severe and come suddenly, but sometimes has mild pain that becomes worse over several days and fluctuates in intensity.You also suffer from abdominal tenderness, fever, nausea, and constipation or diarrhea.
Sings and Symptoms of diverticulitis may include:
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Bleeding from your rectum
• Pain while urinating, etc
Causes
Diverticula usually develop when naturally weak places in your colon give way under pressure. This causes marble-sized pouches to protrude through the colon wall. In Western populations, pouches are most common in your sigmoid and descending colon- the lower portions of your large intestine just above your rectum. But in Asian populations, pouches in the right colon (cecum and ascending colon) are more common.
Increased pressure in the colon can lead to breakdown of the wall of the diverticula leading to infection. A small tear or perforation can also develop in an infection pouch, which in turn can causes an infection within your abdomen.
Risk Factor
These factors may increases the pressure on the wall of your colon:
• Aging: you are more likely to get diverticulitis if you are over the age of 40, although it’s not known why. It may be due to age-related changes, such as a decrease in the strength and elasticity of your bowel wall, that lead to diverticulitis.
• Too little fiber: Diverticulities is rare in countries where people eat a high- fiber diet that helps keep stools soft. But it is common in industrialized nations, such as the United States, where the average diet is high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber. In fact, diverticula disease emerged after the introduction of steel-rolling mills, which greatly reduced the fiber content of flour and other grains. The disease was first observed in the United States in the early 1900s, around the time processed foods became a mainstay of the America diet.
• Lack of exercise: Lack of exercise has been associated with a greater risk of formation of diverticula putting a person at risk of diverticulities.
Diagnosis
Because diverticula by themselves usually don’t cause problems, most people learn they have diverticulosis during routine screening examinations for colorectal cancer or during tests that check for other intestinal problems. Diverticulities, on the other hand, is usually diagnosed during an acute attack.
Diverticulities may arise with other causes of abdominal pain such as appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Diverticulities can range from minor inflammation to a massive infection.
Diagnosis of diverticulitis is not difficult in patients with previously diagnosed diverticulosis. The pain of abdominal pain and fever in such an individual would make the suspicion of diverticulities quite high. Examination of the abdomen will usually reveal to touch with the patient’s abdominal muscles contracting strongly to protect the tender area. During a rectal exam, a doctor may be able to feel an abnormal mass.
Treatment
Generally treatment depends on your sign and symptoms, whether this is your first attack of diverticulities. If your symptoms are mild, a liquid or low- fiber diet and antibiotics may be all you need. But if you are at risk of complications or have recurrent attacks of diverticulities, you need more care.
• Home care
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
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February, 2008
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