Diverticulosis of the large intestine: symptoms, treatment

Diverticulosis of the colon is a disease in which small( 1-2 centimeters) diverticula appear in the wall of the large intestine. Statistics indicate that this disease is most affected by older people living in countries with a good standard of living.

Causes of the disease

Like many diseases of the colon, diverticulosis appears due to the banal cause of malnutrition: the risk of its appearance increases greatly when a person consumes little plant food and there are many flour dishes and meat. Such a diet often causes constipation.

Promote the development of diverticulosis and obesity, prolonged intake of laxatives, intestinal infections( eg, dysentery), flatulence.

What happens with diverticulosis?

Over time, the large intestine of a person loses significantly in the elasticity of its walls. If this process is combined with increased pressure in the intestine( for the above reasons), then the weakest parts of the intestine will slightly "protrude", and then a diverticulum appears. As a rule, there are no symptoms in the disease, but some patients complain of pain in the abdomen, especially in its left half;stool disorders;rumbling in the abdomen and bloating.

After some time of the course of the disease, when the intestine accumulates stool, there may be inflammation of the diverticulum - diverticulitis of the large intestine. This inflammation is accompanied by a high fever, stronger than usual, abdominal pain, the stool contains blood and mucus, and flatulence becomes pronounced. As a rule, patients consult a doctor only at this stage of diverticulosis.

Diverticulitis can be quite dangerous in terms of complications. Allocate the following complications that can occur with inflammation:

• Peritonitis( purulent inflammation of the abdominal cavity).In the diverticulum may appear a small hole formed due to the thinning of the intestinal wall, and through it the contents of the intestine pass through the abdominal cavity.
• Bleeding in the intestines. It can be recognized if you notice clots of blood or scarlet blood in the stool. Other symptoms are pallor of the skin, lowering of blood pressure and general weakness. While blood is allocated, the stool is broken and the stomach is hurted.
• Intestinal obstruction appears due to narrowing of the intestine in the place where the diverticulum has departed.

How to organize the process of treatment

The gastroenterologist is engaged in treatment of this trouble. To diagnose diverticulosis of the large intestine, it is necessary to pass tests of feces and blood, to undergo colonoscopy( the gut area up to one meter is inspected with a colonoscope inserted into the anus), irrigoscopy( examination of the intestine with x-ray after the enema filling with a substance of contrasting color).

Conventional uncomplicated diverticulosis is treated at home. As for diverticulitis, its complications, then it is already impossible to do without placing in a hospital.

The doctor's goal in treating diverticulosis is to bring the stool to the maximum possible rate. Normalization of the stool will prevent the formation of new diverticula and prevent their inflammation. First, a diet based on the intake of wheat bran is prescribed, and then there is a transfer for increased consumption of ordinary plant foods. To reduce abdominal pain, antispasmodics are prescribed( for example, no-shpa).

If diverticulosis develops, the doctor prescribes antibiotic therapy. The drugs that cure bleeding depend on how intense it is. As a rule, medicinal preparations specially directed to stop bleeding are used. If complications occur, the disease is treated promptly. The intervention consists in the fact that the surgeon completely removes the site of the intestine, which is struck by diverticula.

Sometimes treatment of the colon with folk remedies can help, but it should be borne in mind that this is only an addition to the main drug treatment. Before you begin to apply any recipes of traditional medicine, you should consult your doctor about the need for such drugs and their compatibility with the main treatment.