A person with diverticulosis may get diverticulitis when waste matter and bacteria are trapped in a pouch (diverticula).
This blockage interferes with the blood supply to the area, and infection sets in.
The tissue then becomes inflamed or infected, and in severe cases may even rupture. An attack of diverticulitis can result in fever, pain and tenderness around the left side of the lower abdomen.
Symptoms
The infection and irritation of nearby tissues within the abdomen may cause the abdominal muscles to spasm. About 25 percent of all patients with diverticulitis will have some rectal bleeding, although this rarely becomes severe. Diverticulitis is three times more likely to occur in the left side of the large intestine, and men are three times as likely as women to suffer with diverticulitis.
Treatment
Treatment for diverticulitis focuses 3 areas.
Clearing up the infection and inflammation with antibiotics.
Resting the colon with a liquid diet plus a pain reliever or a drug such as propantheline (Pro-Banthine) to control muscle spasms.
Preventing or minimizing complications with the proper diet.
According to everydiet