From Abdominal Pain to Nausea, Key Signs of Diverticulitis

The symptoms seem to come out of nowhere, and suddenly you’re experiencing lower abdominal pain and other symptoms that are making your life fairly miserable.

While several gut issues can come on like this, such as a stomach bug or food poisoning, diverticulitis is another common one. By the numbers, at least  30% of adults have diverticular disease after the age of 50, and there are about 200,000 hospitalizations for diverticulitis each year in the United States.

At Fairfax Colon & Rectal Surgery, our team of colorectal specialists is well-versed in diverticular disease, including diverticulitis. Below, we review what happens when you develop diverticulitis, key signs a problem is brewing, and what to do next.

Understanding diverticular disease

Let’s first start with a broad look at what we mean by diverticular disease. In short, diverticular disease encompasses two main conditions:

1. Diverticulosis 

This is a chronic condition in which pouches develop in your colon where there are weak spots. The pouches are called diverticula, and they generally don’t cause any issues. Diverticulosis is quite common and affects 30% of adults between the ages of 50 and 59, and this number jumps to 70% of people over the age of 80.

2. Diverticulitis

In about 4% of people with diverticulosis, inflammation in the diverticula can set in, triggering diverticulitis. In some cases, there’s also infection as bacteria gather in the pouches.

Recognizing the signs of diverticulitis

When diverticulitis develops, it’s awfully hard to ignore the symptoms because they’re often both uncomfortable and severe. These symptoms include:

• Severe abdominal pain, often strongest around the lower left side
• Nausea and vomiting
• Distended abdomen that feels like severe bloating
• Fever
• Constipation (less commonly, people develop diarrhea)
• Rectal bleeding

Again, these symptoms often come on quickly and severely, leaving you with little doubt that something is amiss with your digestive tract.

Next steps if you suspect diverticulitis

If these symptoms don’t prompt you to seek our help for relief, allow us to reiterate the importance of early medical intervention for diverticulitis.

Most cases of diverticulitis are uncomplicated, and while they can be painful, we can work quickly to reduce inflammation and clear any infection. This often requires gut rest through a specialized diet and, if necessary, antibiotics.

The good news is that most cases of diverticulitis can be treated non-surgically if you seek our help quickly.

When left untreated, however, diverticulitis can become problematic and complicated and lead to more serious issues, such as:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding
• Rupture of a diverticulum
• Intestinal obstruction
• Abscesses

Given these potential complications, you can see why it’s a very good idea to see us at the first signs of trouble in your lower GI tract. Rest assured, if you suspect diverticulitis, we will try to see you as soon as possible. If your symptoms are severe and it’s outside our business hours, please head to an urgent care or ER for help, and we can follow up afterward.

If you have more questions about diverticulitis or you’d like to see one of our specialists, please click here to schedule an appointment at one of our five offices in the Fairfax, Virginia, area.