Diverticulitis can cause intense pain and discomfort. This common digestive disease occurs when pouches in your intestine, known as diverticula, become inflamed. More than one-half of adults over the age of 70 have diverticula, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The treatment of diverticulitis often involves a liquid diet for several days. Pain following the liquid diet phase may indicate the presence of a different health condition, a recurrence of diverticulitis or a complication of this disorder.
Diverticulitis
Some people with diverticula experience no symptoms while others may have abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever. The presence of diverticula in your intestinal tract may cause certain complications, such as urinary tract infections and peritonitis. Although the exact cause of diverticulitis remains unknown, normal aging and a low-fiber diet may increase your risk of developing this digestive condition.
Diet
Diet plays an important role in both the treatment and prevention of diverticulitis. In addition to consuming insufficient amounts of dietary fiber, eating a large amount of fatty foods may contribute to this disorder. A standard treatment plan for diverticulitis often includes a liquid diet. The liquid diet may last two to three days. A typical liquid diet includes plain water, tea, gelatin, ice chips, clear fruit juices, clear sodas and broths. After this initial phase of dietary treatment, your doctor may advise you to begin gradually adding low-fiber foods, as your digestive track begins to heal. MayoClinic.com warns that a liquid diet fails to provide adequate nutrition, making it important to transition back to a normal diet as soon as you can. Although dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of diverticulitis, eating fiber too soon can cause additional irritation and inflammation.
Abdominal Pain
Although returning to a normal diet too quickly can lead to a return of diverticulitis symptoms, other conditions may be responsible for your abdominal pain. Food allergies, indigestion, ulcerative colitis, lactose intolerance, appendicitis and bowel obstruction may all lead to pain in your abdominal area. Up to 20 percent of people with diverticulitis develop complications after a first attack, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Pain that continues after following a liquid diet may indicate the presence of an abscess, blocked intestine or perforation.
Precautions
You should feel better within a few days of starting antibiotics and a liquid diet. Inform your doctor of any abdominal pain that recurs or intensifies after a diverticulitis attack, especially if a liquid diet fails to alleviate your symptoms. Complications may require additional medical care, including hospitalization.
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