A common condition of stomach that, many people are unaware of diverticulitis. It affects the large intestine or colon and occurs when the mucosa or muscous membrane forms small pouches bulging inside the gastrointestinal tract pushes out via a weak muscle area in the larger intestine. Though over 80% of the people suffering from divurticulitis do not show any symptoms of it, some of them do feel severe pain and need surgery.
Causes – Though the primary cause of this condition is unknown, some of the risk factors include obesity, smoking, red meat, high saturated fat and low fibre diet.
Symptoms – Though symptoms vary depending upon the severity of the condition, people experience symptoms like fever, bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, Vitamin D deficiency and genetics to name a few.
Diagnosis – The diagnosis depends on physical examination and a few tests including urine and stool test, colonoscopy, MRI, CT scan or X ray of the GI tract, to name a few.
Complications: Generally this condition does not have complication in over 75% of the cases but in 25% of the cases there are chances of developing complications. The complications of divertulitis include –
Abscess – It is the formation of pus inside the diverticula
Scarring – This condition causes intestinal blockage
Perforation inside Intestine – This causes holes in the intestine and is a severe condition that leads to leakage into the abdominal cavity
Fistula – In this condition, the infection spreads through other organs
Phlegmon – It’s the inflammation of the soft tissues under the skin
Prevention– Eating foods that are rich in fibre are advisable in order to prevent the condition. These include Vegetables like Spinach, Peas, high-fibre fruits, ground Psyllium Seed, low fibre animal protiens like eggs and fish etc. Avoid foods like popcorn, fried foods, saturated fats, popcorn and refined grains.
*Sourced from Internet
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