Some people develop diverticulitis, which involves inflammation of the intestine. On its walls appear protrusions resembling a hernia. These saccular hernias are called diverticula. Periodically, food is stuck in these bags, and subsequently bacteria that cause the inflammatory process appear. It is this pathological process that is called diverticulitis.
A person begins to experience pain in the lower abdomen, closer to the left side. Also, the patient's fever rises, and diarrhea, which changes to constipation, appears. There are cases when the disease causes bleeding. The blood goes with the feces.
Diverticulitis is most common in women, but it can also be in men. In childhood, the disease appears rarely. In most cases, the disease begins to progress after 50 years of age.
If there is a diverticulitis, then urgently you need to seek help from a doctor. This is a very dangerous disease, which requires the intervention of specialists. In the event that the bag breaks, inflammation of the abdominal cavity may begin, and this is very dangerous for human life.
Do not be too afraid, because a timely noticed chronic diverticulitis of the intestine, you can cure antibiotics, which will appoint a doctor. The earlier you start to fight with pathology, the more chances for a quick recovery.
Causes and symptoms of diverticulitis
In most cases, a person does not even know that he has a diverticulum, since the pathology begins to manifest a little later. If the pouch is not inflamed, it does not make itself felt in any way. There are cases when there are occasional pains in the abdomen. After visiting the toilet, the pain stops. Since such pain sensations can occur with the usual accumulation of gases, no one seeks a doctor.
Inflammation of a diverticulum, whose symptoms are similar to other diseases, is difficult to detect at an early stage. According to the signs that are manifested in this disease, you might think that the patient has appendicitis. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the following pain:
- In the lower abdomen there is pain;
- At the same point, monotonous pain is felt for several days;
- At work or other physical exertion, painful sensations increase;
- Most often, pain sensations appear on the left side. If there is such a pain, it is more likely that the patient has a diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon;
- Pain can increase if you press on the affected area of the abdomen. The abdominal muscles react reflexively to touch, trying to protect the intestines;
- After emptying it does not become easier, because, having got rid of the gases, the cause that caused the pain was not eliminated. Sometimes during defecation, pain can be worse.
In addition to pain, attention should be paid to stool disorder, as this is another sign that the diverticulitis of the large intestine has appeared:
- Constipation periodically changes diarrhea;
- Constipation occurs after spasms;
- When the intestine relaxes, the patient begins diarrhea;
- The large intestine has a water absorption function, but it does not cope with the disease and the stool becomes very fluid;
- Defecation becomes frequent, it is associated with an inflammatory process.
When there is a diverticulitis of the colon, the patient may have other symptoms:
- Elevated temperature;
- An admixture of blood in the stool. In the intestine, bleeding erosions or ulcers appear. As a result, when you visit the toilet, you can see that the feces were contaminated with blood particles. Unfortunately, there are situations when the diverticulum bursts, causing bleeding. Blood can be seen on the laundry;
- Vomiting and appetite decrease;
- A person experiences drowsiness and nausea.
If there are such manifestations, and they continue not one day, urgently seek help from a doctor, since the likelihood that the disease has developed diverticulitis is high. At the initial stage, you can cope with the disease with antibiotics. Therefore, timely access to a doctor will quickly eliminate chronic diverticulitis.
Many people have diverticula, but only 20% have inflammation. You should know what causes this process can provoke:
- Food that causes constipation. Most often these are fiber-poor foods. If the body gets less than 30 grams of fiber per day, you can get into a risk group prone to the disease. Without fiber, the food becomes hard, which is why it gets stuck in the large intestine. After this, the patient has constipation, which in turn can lead to blockage;
- The defeat of the body with worms. Helminths, located in the intestine, affect the mucous membrane and break the microflora. This reduces the level of protection from harmful bacteria. Disease bacteria settle in a pathological sac. Most often, this is the cause of diverticulitis in children;
- Age. When there is an advanced age, the tone of all muscles falls. There are frequent constipation, and peristalsis is broken, immunity becomes weak. Therefore, in older people, chronic diverticulitis is formed;
- Inflammation in the large intestine. The disease can appear after the appearance of ulcerative and spastic colitis, infection or infectious enterocolitis. Any of these ailments can inflame the intestinal mucosa. After infringement of microflora and weakening of immunity develops an acute diverticulitis;
- Hereditary predisposition. There are cases when inheritance from parents gets features of the structure of the intestine. With a hereditary predisposition, a child is born with pathological formations. After the defeat of the body by dysbiosis or the effects of infection, an attack of diverticulitis may occur.
Types of diverticulitis
Everyone can get sick, even such as inflammation of the diverticulum. There are types of diseases:
- In order to form a true diverticula, it is necessary that all layers of the intestinal membrane be used;
- Sometimes a false diverticulum appears. In this case, only the mucosa is involved. Thus the muscular cover is not affected.
Medicine most often divides the disease at the site of localization:
- Esophageal diverticulitis. At the same time, saccate protrusions form on the walls of the esophagus. Most often this disease affects the male part of the population;
- Diverticulitis of the duodenum. People over 40 are affected. There are times when symptoms do not appear, and it is not possible to learn about the disease at an early stage;
- Small intestinal diverticulitis. The main symptom is pain in the epigastric region, which is located under the xiphoid process. Other symptoms may not appear;
- Rectum diverticulitis. This disease is expressed by the appearance of outgrowths on the walls of the rectum. Most often occurs in the elderly.
By its origin, the disease can be congenital or acquired. Congenital diverticulitis of the colon appears even during development of the baby in the womb of the mother. The disease can not progress for a long time. After the child develops a dysbacteriosis, the latent pathology starts to be shown. Acquired acute diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon, appear after exposure to unfavorable factors. For example, infectious diseases.
Treatment of diverticulitis
After the first signs of the disease were found, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. After the doctor confirms the diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon, you can immediately proceed with disposal.
Treatment of inflammation of the diverticulum can be either medicated or operative. It all depends on the severity of the ailment. Drug therapy is aimed at eliminating unpleasant manifestations, as well as normalizing the work of intestinal peristalsis.
The operation is performed only if the diverticulitis threatens the patient's life. In such cases, drug therapy is ineffective.
The following drugs can be prescribed as analgesic drugs:
- Drotaverine;
- No-shpa;
- Riabal.
Mezim, Festal or Pancreatin are often prescribed to solve problems associated with the digestive process. Do not forget about the restoration of microflora. To do this, you need Lineks or Bifiform.
Right-sided diverticulitis of the caecum can cause constipation, which will also need to be fought, so that when strong defecation does not occur, strong pain. With constipation, you can cope with:
- Sea kale;
- Flax seed;
- Large volume of liquid.
When a sigmoid colon diverticulitis occurs, constipation may change for diarrhea, then you need to take medications such as Imodium or Imodium Plus.
With disease, you can fight at home with the help of traditional medicine and dietary nutrition. But it should be remembered that this can be done only if diverticulitis with an infiltrate is not life-threatening. Before starting treatment, it is best to pass the diagnosis.
If you follow a diet, you should consume daily a portion of salad dressed with vegetable oil. With proper nutrition, diverticulitis will not be life-threatening, and it can be disposed of in a relatively short time.
It is necessary to carry out prophylaxis so that this unpleasant ailment does not become a nuisance that has arisen in life. First of all, it is necessary to revise your diet. Daily use of fiber, which is so useful to the body. In addition, it prevents the appearance of the disease.
As for the seeds, it is better to refuse them. Small seeds are able to get stuck between the build-ups on the intestine. In consequence, in places of accumulation of seeds, there may appear pathogenic bacteria causing the disease.
The same goes for red meat. Red meat can affect the course of the pathology. Therefore, it is better to choose chicken or fish meat.
To soften the contents of the intestine, use as much liquid as possible. Thanks to the fluid, the pressure in the gut will be reduced. For one day you need to drink at least 2 liters of fluid.
Good prevention is charging and walking. It is necessary to attend various sports events and just stroll along the street, breathing fresh air. Walking can be combined with a walk with a pet or with your family.
If you follow these simple rules, you do not need to worry about inflammation or other diseases.