Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form anywhere in your gut. These can become inflamed and infected. This is diverticulitis.

What is it?

When the bulging pouches along your digestive tract, known as diverticula, become inflammed and infected, diverticulitis results.

How do I recognise it?

Common signs and symptoms of diverticulitis include:

  • Pain that's often sudden, severe, and located in the lower left side of the abdomen. Less commonly, abdominal pain may be mild at first, and become worse over several days, possibly fluctuating in intensity
  • Change in bowel habits
  • Abdominal tenderness
  • Fever
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

Less common signs and symptoms of diverticulitis may include:

  • Bloating
  • Bleeding from your rectum

Causes

Diverticula usually develop when naturally weak places in your colon give way under pressure. This causes marble-sized pouches to protrude through the colon wall.

Exactly how diverticula become inflamed or infected isn't clear.

How do you treat it?

Like any disease, even if there is no cure, there is almost always something you can do to manage it and take control. There are three main areas involved in the treatment of any disease:

For information on medicines and therapies relevant to Diverticulitis, make an appointment at Lynch's pharmacy, Broadale, Douglas, Cork on 021-4366923.

Learn all about the drugs used to treat the disease and any complementary medicines or therapies proven to help. Equip yourself with the tools to manage the condition and not be managed by it.

How do you live with it?

Certain adjustments may be needed to get on with your life, and often, some simple tips and advice can go a long way to making these changes. 

When you come to a Lynch's Pharmacy Clinic, we give you all the necessary information available to make your life more manageable which allow's you to better live with your condition.

References

DIverticulitis-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis, a comprehensive overview                                                                                                                                         http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diverticulitis/DS00070