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Diverticulitis Symptoms Explained

Are you still wondering if you have diverticulitis? How can you tell? Truly, only a physician can diagnose whether the symptoms you are having are caused by diverticulitis or by another medical condition. However, there are some common diverticulitis symptoms that you should be aware of. Do you feel pain in the lower left side of your abdomen?

Pain from diverticulitis often feels like appendicitis, although on the left side (your appendix, of course, is in your right abdomen). Strangely enough, though, non-Western diverticulitis sufferers often feel pain in their right abdomen. 

The pain is usually severe and generally begins suddenly. However, it can start as a mild pain that increasingly gets worse over several days, fluctuating in intensity. Some additional common symptoms include fever, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and abdominal tenderness. Other, less common, symptoms include rectal bleeding, vomiting, frequent or difficult urination, and bloating. 

It is quite possible that the infection will heal itself without medical intervention. However, if untreated, diverticulitis can bring on serious complications, including blockage of the bowel and potentially fatal peritonitis. In peritonitis, the abdominal cavity lining gets infected after the infection spreads from the diverticula. 

Again, only a qualified physician can correctly diagnose the symptoms you are experiencing. If you think you might have diverticulitis, it is advised that you make a visit to your doctor as soon as possible.