Diverticulitis is inflammation of small pouches that form in the wall of the colon, and it sends about 200,000 Americans to the hospital every year, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
The pouches themselves, called diverticulosis, become more common with age. More than 30 percent of US adults between 50 and 59 have them, and more than 70 percent of adults over 80 do, per NIDDK.
Most of those pouches stay silent. Fewer than 5 percent of people with diverticulosis ever develop diverticulitis. When it does hit, the pain arrives suddenly and is easy to misread as gas, constipation or a pulled muscle.
7 warning signs of diverticulitis
1. Sudden, severe pain in the lower-left abdomen. This is the hallmark. NIDDK says the pain is typically severe and comes on suddenly, most often on the lower-left side. Cleveland Clinic notes the pain can spread to the pelvis or radiate to the back, and that people of Asian descent more commonly feel it in the upper abdomen.
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2. Fever and chills. A rising temperature can signal that an inflamed pouch is becoming infected, per NIDDK.
3. Nausea. Diverticulitis often unsettles the stomach before the picture is otherwise clear.
4. Vomiting. Persistent vomiting alongside the classic pain is a common presentation, per Cleveland Clinic.
5. Constipation or diarrhea. NIDDK lists both. Constipation is more typical, though diarrhea can also occur.
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6. Bloating or a distended abdomen. Cleveland Clinic points to a distended abdomen and, in some cases, a colon that can be felt on physical exam.
7. Blood in the stool. Bleeding from the pouches can produce bright red blood. Cleveland Clinic treats fresh blood in the stool as a reason to seek emergency care.
When to go to the ER
Most cases are treated at home with a short course of antibiotics, a clear liquid diet and rest. NIDDK notes that people with severe cases or complications need hospital care.
The complications the agency flags include abscesses, fistulas, intestinal obstruction, perforation and peritonitis. Some can turn life-threatening if the pouch ruptures and spills bacteria into the abdomen.
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Cleveland Clinic advises going in right away if you have fresh blood in your stool, an abdomen that is rigid and tender to the touch, or you feel pale and weak. Vomiting that will not stop or a high fever with abdominal pain also warrants urgent care.
Anyone with new or worsening abdominal symptoms should talk to their doctor rather than wait it out. Diverticulitis mimics a lot of milder problems, and treatment tends to be simpler the earlier it starts.
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This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.