What Is Acute Diverticulitis?

Acute diverticulitis is a condition that is quite commonly misdiagnosed or missed altogether during tests. This is largely due to the fact that not every patient will exhibit symptoms of diverticulitis. However, if you work with your doctor, together you can come up with the diagnosis and get started on a treatment right away. It can be quite dangerous to leave diverticulitis untreated, as it can result in even worse problems within your digestive tract.

Acute diverticulitis is a condition involving the lower digestive system of the human body. It is often caused by having a poor diet for a number of years, or it could even happen completely naturally because of old age. Whatever the cause, knowing what the disease is can help you better understand what is happening in your body if you are suffering from this condition.

So what is it, exactly? Diverticulitis affects your colon. You will develop small hernias in the wall of your colon, and these can often happen over years without really noticing them at all because they don’t always cause symptoms. These hernias in the wall of the colon then create pockets in the skin. These turn into small sacs that push outward from the colon wall. They are more common when you get older because old age often results in more pressure within your colon.

These sacs generally form on the left hand side of your colon, which is known as the sigmoid colon. Over time, increased pressure within these sacs can cause extreme infections. Your colon is loaded with bacteria, and the sacs give those bacteria a place to hide and grow. The more bacteria growing there, the more likely that you will get an infection.



An infection within these sacs will often cause extreme irritation and inflammation within the colon. This is called acute diverticulitis. Acute diverticulitis is the diagnosis you will be given any time you present with hernias in the wall of your intestines. Once you have a diagnosis, it’s important to know how you can treat such a condition so that you can prevent it from getting worse.

The most common way to treat diverticulitis is to change your diet. A diet that is rich in vegetables, minerals, fresh foods, and lots of fiber is generally a good way to help prevent further attacks of diverticulitis from occurring.

Attacks of diverticulitis can be quite painful. The inflammation in the colon or intestinal wall can create extreme cramping within the abdomen and can cause trouble with the bowel movement process. You could become either constipated or you could get diarrhea, depending on how your body responds.

Living with acute diverticulitis can be difficult but it is not impossible, and you can still live a normal life. Once you have a diagnosis, ensure that you follow orders from your doctor so that you can quickly move on with your life instead of living in agony. Eat right, exercise often, drink lots of water, and eat plenty of fiber, and you should be much better in no time.

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