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Diverticulitis is a common but often overlooked disease of the digestive tract that impacts millions of people globally. The symptoms may range from mild pain or discomfort in the abdomen to severe and life-altering complications. This blog aims to answer the question, "What is diverticulitis?" and discuss the measures needed to manage its symptoms, ultimately improving the quality of life for those affected.
What are the symptoms of diverticulitis?
Diseases of the digestive tract are prevalent all over the world. Diverticulitis is one such digestive tract pathology. The word “diverticula” means pouch or outpouching. In this debilitating condition, pouch-like structures develop in the walls of the digestive tract, most commonly in the colon. When these pouches become inflamed, the condition is known as diverticulitis. It is also referred to as colon diverticulitis or colonic diverticulosis.
Diverticulitis symptoms in Turkey include abdominal pain and discomfort, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, a palpable colon, fever, constipation, rectal bleeding, and diarrhea (rare). Patients with this combination of symptoms should seek a diverticulitis diagnosis in Turkey for proper treatment and prevention protocols.
Medical Park hospitals are providing the latest in diverticulitis treatment in Istanbul and many other locations across the country to decrease the morbidity of this chronic condition. The symptoms of diverticulitis are the same for both genders. However, diverticulitis symptoms in women develop later than men and hormonal factors (menopause) impact the risk of developing diverticulitis in females.
Stool Appearance in Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis can significantly alter bowel movements, leading many patients to wonder, "What does stool look like in diverticulitis?" Stool in diverticulitis ranges from hard and pellet-shaped due to constipation or being thin like a ribbon due to the narrowing of the colonic lumen. There may be blood or mucus in the stool as well depending on the severity of the diverticulitis. Loose and watery diarrheal stools are rare in diverticulitis.
What causes diverticulitis?
Like in many parts of the world, diverticulitis is commonly seen in individuals aged 50 and older in Turkey. While the exact cause of diverticulitis is not fully understood, it is widely agreed that the condition involves inflammation of the large intestine's wall, particularly in the lower colon.
Outpouching of the wall of the colon occurs in areas of structural weakness (diverticulosis). These outpouches become infected or inflamed causing diverticulitis symptoms. There are risk factors that make an individual more prone to developing diverticulitis such as:
Smoking
Excessive alcohol use
Aging
Sedentary lifestyle choices
Low fiber diet
A diet high in red meat
Decreased levels of vitamin D
Medications (NSAIDs, Steroids, Opioid medication)
Diverticulitis in Turkey may lead to symptoms ranging from mild to severe. These symptoms can lead to complications of diverticulitis in approximately 15% of patients. The good news is that effective diverticulitis management in Istanbul and other parts of the country is available for all.
What are the possible complications of diverticulitis?
Not everyone with outpouching of the colonic wall has inflammatory and infective symptoms. However, those who do develop diverticulitis symptoms are at a significant risk for its complications. Patients seeking diverticulitis treatment in Turkey may develop the following complications:
Abscess Formation
An abscess is a localized accumulation of pus. The severe immune response to the inflammation and infection in diverticulitis causes abscess formation in the colon.
Fistula Formation
The formation of an abnormal pathway due to severe inflammation and erosion between two structures in the body is known as a fistula. Diverticulitis may lead to fistula formation between the colon and surrounding structures (vagina, small intestine, etc.).
Stricture Formation
Chronic inflammation leads to scarring and fibrosis of the colon, permanently narrowing its lumen. This complication is seen in long-standing or recurrent diverticulitis in Turkey and other parts of the world.
Tearing
If left untreated, chronic inflammation of the colonic diverticula may lead to tearing of the intestinal wall. The tear perforates the intestinal wall causing intestinal bacteria to spill in the abdominal cavity. This leads to an infection of the peritoneal lining of the abdomen called peritonitis, which is a medical emergency as it leads to sepsis.
Bleeding
Chronic inflammation of the colonic diverticula erodes the intestinal walls and causes bleeding. If allowed to continue for a long time, patients can become anemic and weak.
The symptoms of diverticulitis may be insidious and are often overlooked by patients due to this reason. Many hospitals provide diverticulitis management in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey to prevent the development of complications.
How is diverticulitis diagnosed?
The diverticulitis tests in Turkey to diagnose the disease are as follows:
Detailed history
Complete physical examination
Metabolic panel
Urine tests
Stool tests
Liver function tests (to rule out other causes)
Complete blood count (to detect infection/inflammation)
If there is a high-degree of suspicion, then for diverticulitis confirmation in Turkey healthcare providers perform CT scan abdomen and a colonoscopy. Once a diagnosis is established, lifestyle changes and treatment protocols for diverticulitis in Istanbul are implemented to help improve the patient’s quality of life.
What is the treatment for Diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis treatment options in Turkey available to local and international patients are as follows:
Mild Diverticulitis Treatment
Mild symptoms are treated at home with lifestyle and diet modifications. Healthcare personnel also provide patients with oral antibiotics and pain medications for symptomatic relief.
Diverticulitis Diet
For those who wonder, what is a diverticulitis diet? It is a diet that aims to rest the digestive tract during active flare-ups and re-introduce normal foods gradually. It typically begins as a liquid diet (water, broth, juices, gelatin, etc.) during a flare-up, once the symptoms start to clear up low-fiber options are introduced (white rice/bread, fish, etc.). After the flare-up resolves patients can go back to a high-fiber diet to regulate bowel movements.
Treatment of Complications
Diverticulitis complications in Turkey are treated with a combination of intravenous antibiotics and appropriate surgical intervention.
Prevention
Prevention protocols for diverticulitis in Istanbul are based on international standards and include:
Maintaining hydration
A diet high in fiber
Active lifestyle
Avoiding smoking/alcohol
Maintaining a healthy and stable weight
Medical Park Hospitals are standards of care for diverticulitis and other diseases. With over 27 facilities spread across the length of the country, Medical Park combines accessibility, affordability, and an international standard of care to all its patients. With 210 state-of-the-art operating rooms, there is no better facility than Medical Park Hospitals to manage diverticulitis complications.
