What can diverticulitis be mistaken for?
Common alternative conditions that can clinically mimic diverticulitis include small bowel obstruction, primary epiploic appendagitis, acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, ileitis, ovarian cystic disease, and ureteral stone disease.
What medications should be avoided with diverticulitis?
Painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen should be avoided as they increase the risk of internal bleeding, and may also upset the stomach. Acetaminophen is recommended for pain relief from diverticular disease. Acetaminophen is available for purchase over the counter or online.
What is the most common cause of diverticulitis?
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. Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula tear, resulting in inflammation, and in some cases, infection.
What color is poop with diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis stool characteristics Color: The stool may be bright red, maroon, or black and tarry, which indicates the presence of blood. Stools may contain more mucus than normal. Odor: The stool odor may be increasingly foul compared to the typical smell.
What foods trigger diverticulitis?
Common foods such as those low in fiber or high in sugar that may increase the risk of developing diverticulosis or trigger diverticulosis symptoms include:
- Red meats.
- Processed meats.
- Fried foods.
- Full fat dairy products.
Is diverticular disease serious?
diverticulosis. If you have diverticula that aren’t infected or inflamed, it’s known as diverticulosis. In some cases, diverticulosis can cause symptoms such as pain in the abdomen and bloating. When that happens, it’s known as symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD).
Does diverticulitis ever go away?
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.
Can you eat bananas with diverticulitis?
Good options include canned fruits such as peaches or pears, applesauce, ripe bananas, and soft, ripe cantaloupe and honeydew. “It’s not a lot of fiber because you’re not eating the skin. The skins are the source of insoluble fiber, which can irritate inflamed polyps.”
How is diverticulitis treated in an ambulatory setting?
Uncomplicated diverticulitis can be managed medically and in an ambulatory setting. Complicated disease requires a more aggressive approach that can often require urgent or elective surgery, and treatments that are specific to the complication itself (ie, abscess drainage).
When to use Computed tomography to diagnose diverticulitis?
Radiological evidence of inflammation, using computed tomography (CT), is needed to diagnose the first occurrence of diverticulitis. CT is also warranted when the severity of symptoms suggests that perforation or abscesses have occurred.
How many patients with diverticula remain asymptomatic?
Approximately 85 percent of patients with diverticula are believed to remain asymptomatic. Symptomatic disease without inflammation is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring colonoscopy because imaging studies cannot discern the significance of diverticula.
What does the term diverticulitis mean in medical terms?
Diverticular disease (diverticulosis, diverticulitis) is a general term that refers to the presence of diverticula, small pouches in the large intestinal (colonic) wall. These outpouchings arise when the inner layers of the colon push through weaknesses in the outer muscular layers. [ 1]