Diverticulitis Causes Lower Left Abdominal Pain Symptoms and Diverticultis Diet

Diverticulosis is a condition wherein small pouches (diverticula) bulge out through weak spots in your colon and large intestine. If these pouches become inflamed or infected, then you have diverticulitis.

Diverticular disease refers to both of these conditions.

Many with diverticulosis never have any discomfort, but some experience:

Other diseases cause similar problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers cause similar problems.  Therefore, these symptoms do not automatically indicate you have diverticulosis.

Generally, the only treatment for diverticulosis is to increase your fiber intake by eating more:

  • fruit ~ apples and peaches
  • whole grain breads and cereals
  • starchy vegetables ~ kidney beans and lima beans
  • vegetables ~ broccoli, cabbage, spinach, carrots, asparagus, and squash

Most typical diverticulitis symptom is lower left abdominal pain and tenderness,

Treatment for lower left abdominal pain diverticulitis is usually a high fiber diet and mild pain medications, usually this is all that’s necessary. If your bout with diverticulitis includes an infection, additional symptoms may occur, such as:

The severity of your symptoms will depend on the extent of your infection and complications.  Complications as in:

Diverticulitis infection’s pain in lower left abdomen is treated with antibiotics. This treatment usually clears up your pain and tenderness within a couple of days. If an attack of diverticulitis is serious enough you may require surgery.

Recommended diet during a diverticulitis attack is clear liquid and a low fiber regime. Vegetables are out, along with fruit skins.  Once your symptoms start to wane, slowly increase fiber back into your diet.

  • Diverticulitis diet ~ no fiber consumption
  • Diverticulosis diet ~ increase fiber consumption

Eating a high fiber healthy diet, consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables, helps prevent diverticular diseases of diverticulitis and diverticulosis.

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