What Are the Symptoms of Diverticulosis?
Symptoms of diverticulosis include nausea, vomiting, fever, constipation and diarrhea, according to Mayo Clinic. Additional symptoms include constant or persistent abdominal pain and tenderness that generally occurs in the lower-left portion of the abdomen.
Diverticulosis occurs when diverticula, or small pouches or sacs, form in the wall of the large intestine and become infected, notes WebMD. Although diverticula tend to be small and generally measure 5 to 10 millimeters in diameter, in some instances, they may be bigger. The exact cause of the condition is unknown; however, experts believe diverticula are caused by high pressure within the colon that facilitates the development of diverticula in weak spots in the colon wall. Doctors often discover diverticula while screening or performing testing procedures related to a different medical issue.
People with diverticulosis often experience no symptoms, and a high-fiber diet is often effective in preventing diverticula from forming, notes Healthline. In other cases, home treatments that include rest, a liquid diet, antibiotics and medications help treat it, while more advanced cases may require an intravenous antibiotic treatment at a medical facility. In the most severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the part of the intestine affected by the infected diverticula.
