Patients over 40 years of age who have consulted a specialist with a problem of gastrointestinal dysfunction are often diagnosed with diverticulosis. Symptoms of this pathology of the intestine are almost never specific. They are usually expressed in pain localized in the place where the pathological protrusion, fever, nausea, eructation and other negative symptoms are located. Treatment of the disease can be prescribed only after the necessary diagnostic examination has been carried out, the main method of which is radiography.
Although with a disease such as diverticulosis of the intestine, the symptoms, for the most part, hardly differ from many other pathologies, there are still a few basic signs, the regular occurrence of which should alarm the person. Among them, the following can be distinguished:
- Coliform pains in the abdomen that do not pass after the act of defecation, localized in one place and continuing for a long time;
- Frequent constipation. Diarrhea occurs only in rare cases;
- Meteorism, nausea, vomiting.
These symptoms of the diverticulum are only supposedly suggesting a possible development of the disease, but when they appear, specialist advice is simply necessary, since only timely diagnosis of the pathology and the appointment of adequate treatment will help to avoid surgical intervention and possible serious complications. They consist in a strong inflammation and perforation( breakthrough) protrusion, with the release of its contents into the abdominal cavity. As a result, peritonitis always develops, which can lead to death.
Symptoms of diverticulum of the digestive tract
When a patient has such a symptomatology, the doctor can not put a single diagnosis on the basis of visual inspection and palpation, since all these manifestations are too general. An appropriate diagnostic study is required. The most valuable in this case is the radiography, which along with the detection of diverticulum in the digestive organs allows us to identify and accompanying diseases of the intestine that have similar symptoms. It is through this that it is possible to select and conduct the most appropriate treatment for the patient by applying an individual technique. What manifestations of diverticulosis can a specialist see on a radiograph? This question is also of interest to many. X-ray signs of the gastrointestinal diverticulum are usually the following:
- On the relief of the mucosa of the digestive organ, an intense homogeneous or annular shadow is clearly visible;
- Spasm and local irritation of the large intestine, a change in the shape of the haustra, the appearance of wide folds;
- In the structure of the protrusion, the barium entered into the patient is delayed much longer, which is also clearly seen in the image.
All these signs, obtained as a result of research and combined with a certain symptomatology, clearly indicate the presence of the patient's diverticulum. It is thanks to him that a specialist can make a decision about timely treatment in accordance with this form of pathology.
Treatment of diverticulosis of the intestine
When a patient experiences pain in the digestive tract, bleeding during an act of defecation, fever and confirmation by diagnostic tests of his diverticulum, a specialist can unequivocally say that in one or several saccule protrusions the process of inflammation began. As a rule, such manifestations indicate the development of the following complications:
- Diverticulitis. Inflammation of the tissues of the pathological pocket is isolated, and rarely leads to severe pain, and the temperature does not rise above 37-37.5 degrees. Treatment in this case is medicated. If the disease is acute, with a constant increase in the severity of the symptoms, this indicates the spread of inflammation in the abdominal cavity;
- Peritonitis caused by bacteria entering the peritoneum from the intestinal lumen during exacerbation of the diverticulosis is manifested by a significant increase in symptomatology. The general condition of the patient deteriorates rapidly, pain intensifies, and the temperature rises to 38 degrees and above;
- Signs of an abscess that has developed as a result of this ailment is a change in the intensity of pain. They take a pulsating local character, and the heat becomes critical. If such symptoms appear associated with the development of diverticulosis, urgent surgical intervention is required.
Regardless of whether these signs persist at the same level, or are constantly increasing, they are harbingers of dangerous complications. Such negative symptoms require the immediate commencement of treatment in the hospital due to the fact that this condition can be life-threatening to the patient. Initially, the specialist uses complex therapy, which consists in prescribing medications that help reduce the symptoms of diverticula. The patient's diet is also adjusted. But in the case when the effectiveness of the methods used is small, that is, pain and heat do not pass, a decision is made about surgical intervention. Any measures related to the treatment of the symptoms of diverticulosis should be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.
In general, the prognosis of the disease is not so critical, since with proper treatment and patient compliance with all the prescriptions of a specialist, 80% of people who have diverticula found may not notice their negative symptoms throughout their lives. But do not forget that to comply with all the recommendations of a doctor and undergo a regular examination. If this is not done, the pathology at any time can give a relapse, which will significantly worsen the situation. Also, attention should be paid to strengthening the protective functions of the body. Thanks to this, even those patients who had an operation to remove intestinal diverticula can be sure that they will not have negative symptoms again.