Diverticulitis symptoms are difficult to spot as they are usually non existent. This condition will rarely physically affect a person until it progresses to Diverticulitis. In saying that, there are early warning signs which may include
- bloating
- constipation and
- mild cramps
The problem being that these symptoms can also be related to other conditions such as stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and because of this, a doctor should be consulted before making a self-diagnosis.
Common signs for a person to look out for if they feel they are at risk of developing diverticulitis are:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Chills
- Fever
- Abdominal pain or tenderness, usually in the left side
- Constipation/diarrhea
- Bloating
- flatulence
The severity of the symptoms will correlate with the severity of the infection present. In some cases where an infected or inflamed diverticula is particularly close to a blood vessel, blood may become present in stools and if this continues and the amount of blood increases a patient runs the risk of becoming anaemic.
The symptoms are similar to that of bowel cancer and once again it is recommended that a doctor be sought for advice and diagnosis of the condition.
If left untreated symptoms can expand to:
- extended constipation
- constant vomiting
- abdominal pain increasing
- burning sensation when urinating and
- bleeding from the rectum
Once these symptoms are present it is quite possible that a complication has occurred and a specialist may need to be involved.
