Diverticula are small pockets in the colon consisting of components from the stomach. When diverticula become inflamed, it results in a condition called diverticulitis. Inflammation often stems from an injury or when one of the diverticula gets irritated. Regardless of what causes your diverticulitis, it is a condition that results in sharp, harsh pain in the lower left side of your stomach.
Depending on the type and severity of your diverticulitis, it can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort. Some cases can even cause damage to other parts of the stomach and digestive system. Therefore, it is important to see a medical professional if you have diverticulitis or another condition that is causing sharp pain and discomfort in your abdomen.
While all cases of diverticulitis should be diagnosed, they may not all require treatment. Certain types of diverticulitis, such as mild or uncomplicated ones, do not always need treatment. Instead, they will repair themselves and go away on their own. However, it is important to go to your doctor for an initial diagnosis as well as for a follow-up appointment to check on the status of your condition.
Most cases of diverticulitis start from an infection or injury to your diverticula, resulting in inflammation. If your condition stems from an infection, you will need antibiotics to kill the infection and repair your damaged diverticula. While antibiotics will not do the actual repairs, killing the infection will give the diverticula time to heal. Antibiotics can be given orally or via an IV catheter.
If your diverticulitis does not require immediate medical treatment, you may be able to resolve it at home. Here are a few great at-home remedies that may take away your condition.
Part of the reason that your diverticulitis may have flared up is because of your diet. Therefore, by going on a liquid diet of water, smoothies, and juice, you can give your stomach time to rest and recover. This could result in a quicker recovery than if you simply sit and wait for diverticulitis to go away.
As your liquid diet takes its effect on your colon, you may still experience occasional pain and discomfort. To combat this, you can take over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen. However, you should avoid taking NSAIDs and aspirin, as these are blood thinners that could result in internal bleeding.
In serious cases where diverticulitis causes additional complications, surgery may be your only option. Situations where you need surgery include bowel abscesses, obstructions, or bowel punctures. Surgery may also be necessary if you have a compromised immune system or have had repeated bouts of diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis surgery is where your doctor puts you under general anaesthesia and removes damaged sections of your intestines. They then repair the intestine so that you can function as normal. If that is not enough to repair your diverticulitis, you may need additional sections removed and a colostomy performed so that you can pass waste. Once your intestine, bowels, and colon are back to normal, the surgery is reversed.
While diverticulitis typically does not result in serious complications and is not life-threatening, this is not always the case. Infections, internal bleeding, and more can result if you leave diverticulitis unchecked. Even though surgery, medications, and other treatments may not be necessary, you should always have diverticulitis diagnosed and monitored so that nothing changes.