What Is Diverticulitis, and What Symptoms Should Prompt Me to Seek Medical Care?
Diverticulitis is a Gastrointestinal condition that occurs when one or more of the small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the large intestine become inflamed or infected. The most prominent and defining symptom is the sudden onset of severe, constant abdominal pain, which is typically and classically felt in the lower left side of the abdomen, though the pain can occasionally occur in other quadrants depending on the location of the affected diverticula.
Patients commonly experience a variety of other signs of systemic infection and inflammation, which usually accompany the localized pain. These symptoms include a noticeable fever and chills (indicating an infectious process), nausea or vomiting, and a marked, acute change in bowel habits, such as new or worsening constipation or, less frequently, severe diarrhea. You should seek immediate medical attention if your abdominal pain is sudden and severe, if you develop a high fever, if you are persistently unable to keep liquids down (raising concern for dehydration), or if you notice any significant rectal bleeding. These concerning symptoms can signal a serious, life-threatening complication, such as a localized abscess, a bowel obstruction, or a perforation (a tear in the bowel wall), all of which require prompt medical intervention, often involving strong antibiotics or hospitalization for urgent treatment.
