What are the symptoms of diverticular disease?

/Home/Health Conditions/Diverticulosis - Alternative Remedies/Diverticulosis - Symptoms

Most patients with diverticulosis have few or no symptoms. The diverticulosis condition in these individuals is found incidentally during tests for other intestinal problems. Twenty percent of patients with diverticulosis will develop symptoms related to diverticulosis. The most common symptoms of diverticular disease include:

abdominal cramping,

constipation, and

diarrhea.
These symptoms are related to difficulty of passing stool along the left colon narrowed by diverticular disease.

More serious complications include:

diverticulitis,

collection of pus (abscess) in the pelvis,

colon obstruction,

generalized infection of the abdominal cavity (bacterial peritonitis), and

bleeding into the colon.

A diverticulum can rupture, and the bacteria within the colon can spread into the tissues surrounding the colon causing diverticulitis. Constipation or diarrhea may also occur. A collection of pus can develop around the inflamed diverticulum, leading to formation of an abscess, usually in the pelvis. On rare occasions, the inflamed diverticula can erode into the urinary bladder, causing bladder infection and passing of gas during urination. Inflammation in the colon can also lead to bowel obstruction. Infrequently, a diverticulum ruptures freely into the abdominal cavity causing a life threatening infection called peritonitis.

Diverticular bleeding occurs when the expanding diverticulum erodes into a blood vessel at the base of a diverticulum. Rectal passage of red, dark or maroon-colored blood and clots occur without any associated abdominal pain. Rarely, blood may be black from a diverticulum of the right colon. Bleeding may be continuous or intermittent, lasting several days.

Patients with active bleeding usually are hospitalized for monitoring. Intravenous fluids are given to support the blood pressure. Blood transfusions are necessary for those with moderate to severe blood loss. In a rare individual with brisk and severe bleeding, the blood pressure can drop, causing dizziness, shock, and loss of consciousness. In most patients, bleeding stops spontaneously and they are sent home after several days in the hospital. Patients with persistent, severe bleeding require surgical removal of the bleeding diverticula.