Diarrhea, abdominal pain and bleeding can be diverticulitis

Acute diverticulitis arises when inflammation of the diverticula occurs, which are small pockets that form in the intestine.

The most common symptoms are indicated below, so if you think you may have acute diverticulitis, tick what you feel to know the risk of having this problem:

1. 1. Pain in the left side of the belly that doesn't go away Yes No
2. 2. Nausea and vomiting Yes No
3. 3. Swollen belly Yes No
4. 4. Fever above 38º C with chills Yes No
5. 5. Loss of appetite Yes No
6. 6. Alternating periods of diarrhea or constipation Yes No

When these symptoms appear, you should go to the emergency room or consult a gastroenterologist to perform tests such as computed tomography, ultrasound or colonoscopy in order to diagnose the problem and start the appropriate treatment.

Diverticulitis is generally more common in people over 40, who have diverticulosis, constipation or overweight. In addition, if there are cases of diverticulosis in the family, there is also an increased risk of having diverticulitis.

Difference between diverticulitis and other diseases

Some of the symptoms of diverticulitis are also characteristic of other diseases of the gastrointestinal system such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease or appendicitis. However, there are some differences that can help to more accurately identify the true cause of the symptoms:

	Diverticulitis	Irritable bowel	Crohn's disease	Appendicitis
Age	More frequent after 40 years.	It appears around the age of 20.	Most common before age 30.	Between 10 and 30 years old, but it can appear at any age.
Type of pain	Constant, intense and on the left side of the belly.	Intense, constant and in the lower belly.	Intense, constant and in the lower belly.	Intense and constant, on the right side of the belly.
Willingness to defecate	There is usually no desire to defecate.	Urgent will to defecate.	Urgent will to defecate.	There is usually difficulty in defecating.
Consistency of feces	Constipation is more common.	Periods of constipation and diarrhea.	Diarrhea is more common.	In a few cases, diarrhea may appear.

In any case, diagnostic tests, such as abdominal computed tomography or colonoscopy, are required to confirm the diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment.

How the treatment is done

Treatment for acute diverticulitis should be guided by a gastroenterologist or general surgeon and can be done at home with antibiotic remedies, for about 10 days, and the intake of analgesic remedies to reduce abdominal pain.

During treatment for diverticulitis, it is recommended to maintain rest and, initially, for 3 days, to eat a liquid diet, slowly adding solid foods. After treating diverticulitis, it is important to eat a diet rich in fiber, guided by a nutritionist, in order to improve bowel function and prevent diverticula from inflaming again. See the tips from our nutritionist:

In the most severe cases, in which diverticula perforate, which can give rise to complications such as peritonitis or generalized infection of the organism, surgery to remove the affected region can be used. Learn more about treatment for diverticulitis.

What are the main causes

The causes of diverticulitis are not yet known, but there are some factors that increase the risk of an individual developing diverticula in the intestine and, consequently, of these inflaming and giving rise to diverticulitis, such as:

• Be over 40 years old; Eat a diet rich in fat and low in fiber; Obesity; Do not practice physical activity regularly.

To assess whether diverticula already exist, a colonoscopy should be performed to assess the entire interior of the intestine. Check out how this exam works and how to prepare.