What are the symptoms of acute diverticulitis?
Acute diverticulitis usually causes pain in the left lower abdomen. Very often, digestive problems as well as fever and fatigue are also present.
Pain in diverticulitis
Most often, the pain originates from inflamed diverticula in the left lower abdomen, where the descending colon and its S-shaped opening into the rectum (sigmoid colon) are located. This sigmoid diverticulitis is also called “left-sided appendicitis” or “appendicitis of the elderly” because it causes symptoms similar to appendicitis – only on the left side instead of the right.
Sometimes the inflamed area of the intestine can be felt as a thickened roll in the lower left abdomen that hurts when touched. Many sufferers describe the pain as dull and pressing or their urge to defecate as very uncomfortable and painful (tenesmus).
Diverticulitis symptoms during digestion and bowel movements
Very often, acute diverticulitis also causes digestive symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea and/or vomiting
Always have blood in the stool clarified by a doctor immediately!
What are the symptoms of chronic diverticulitis?
In chronic diverticulitis, the diverticula are repeatedly inflamed. As a result, the intestine sometimes narrows in places (intestinal stenosis) and is then less passable there. This usually exacerbates constipation, bloating and other digestive-related symptoms.
Diverticulitis and intestinal stenosis sometimes cause complete bowel obstruction (ileus). This medical emergency must be treated (usually surgery) as soon as possible.
Is back pain a common symptom?
Back pain is not one of the typical symptoms of diverticulitis. However, typical symptoms such as pain in the left lower abdomen or digestive discomfort are often mild, especially in older people and people with weakened immune systems. At the same time, these patients also experience atypical symptoms that at first glance do not suggest diverticulitis.
In general, not all symptoms that occur are typical of diverticulitis. In some cases, atypical symptoms also turn out to be diverticulitis. For example, it happens that the inflammation spreads to the urinary bladder. Symptoms such as an increased urge to urinate and/or problems with urination arise.
