My symptoms were a little different, so it would be wise to read the symptoms outlined below but the truth is that you know your own body and  will are the best judge of when something is wrong.

I experienced a tightening or cramping in the transcending colon as a first sign and only when the pain extended to the lower part of the abdomen did I seek a doctor’s advice.

Below is an excerpt from the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Diverticulitis

The most common symptom of diverticulitis is abdominal pain. The most common sign on examination is tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen. Usually, the pain is severe and comes on suddenly, but it can also be mild and become worse over several days. The intensity of the pain can fluctuate. A person may experience cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, or a change in bowel habits.

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An indepth look at  Symptoms of Diverticulitis?

Most people with diverticulitis have few or no symptoms. Twenty percent of those with diverticulitis will develop symptoms related to diverticulosis. The most common symptoms of diverticulitis include:

• diarrhea,
• constipation, and
• abdominal cramping.

More serious complications include:

• an abscess in the pelvis
• colon obstruction
• bleeding into the colon
• bacterial peritonitis in the abdominal cavity.

Medical treatment of diverticulitis

Most patients with diverticulosis have minimal or no symptoms, and do not require any specific treatment. A high fiber diet and fiber supplements are advisable to prevent constipation and perhaps prevent the formation of more diverticula.

Patients with mild symptoms of abdominal pain due to muscular spasm in the area of the diverticula may benefit from anti-spasmodic drugs such as:

• chlordiazepoxide (Librax),
• dicyclomine (Bentyl),
• atropine, scopolamine, phenobarb (Donnatal), and
• hyoscyamine (Levsin).

Some doctors also recommend avoidance of nuts, corn, and seeds to prevent complications of diverticulosis. Whether these dietary restrictions are beneficial is uncertain.

When diverticulitis occurs, antibiotics are usually needed. Oral antibiotics are sufficient when symptoms are mild. Some examples of commonly prescribed antibiotics include:

• ciprofloxacin (Cipro),
• metronidazole (Flagyl),
• cephalexin (Keflex), and
• doxycycline (Vibramycin).

Liquid or low fiber foods are advised during acute attacks of diverticulitis. This is done to reduce the amount of material that passes through the colon, which at least theoretically, may aggravate the diverticulitis. In severe diverticulitis with high fever and pain, patients are hospitalized and given intravenous antibiotics. Surgery is needed for patients with persistent bowel obstruction or abscess not responding to antibiotics.

Surgery for diverticulitis

Diverticulitis that does not respond to medical treatment requires surgical intervention. Surgery usually involves drainage of any collections of pus and resection (surgical removal) of the segment of the colon containing the diverticuli, usually the sigmoid colon. Surgical removal of the bleeding diverticula also is necessary for those with persistent bleeding. In patients needing surgery to stop persistent bleeding,, it is important to determine exactly where the bleeding is coming from in order to guide the surgeon.

Sometimes, diverticula can erode into the adjacent urinary bladder, causing severe recurrent urine infection and passage of gas during urination. This situation also requires surgery.

Sometimes, surgery may be suggested for patients with frequent, recurrent attacks of diverticulitis leading to multiple courses of antibiotics, hospitalizations, and days lost from work. During surgery, the goal is to remove all, or almost all, of the colon containing diverticula in order to prevent future episodes of diverticulitis. There are few long-term consequences of resection of the sigmoid colon for diverticulitis, and the surgery often can be done laparoscopically, which limits post operative pain and time for recovery.

Diverticulosis that has recurring episodes is also called “diverticular disease“. This is the condition of having diverticula in the colon, diverticula are small pockets that form on the outside wall of the large intestine most commonly in the descending Colon; however there can be pockets in the Ascending and Transverse Colon. These are formed in part due to weakness in the colon wall, we will get into a much more in-depth discussion on this matter later. The most common area is in the sigmoid colon, which is a common place for increased pressure. Before the age of 40 the chances of Diverticulosis are relatively uncommon with the occurrences increasing in incidence after that age.

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When you first become aware of the term Diverticulosis, Diverticulitis and Diverticula they can be confusing at best, but it is important that you understand the meaning of each term. Understanding  the differences and what treatments are available for Diverticulosis vs Diverticulitis will give you a leg up on taking a role in enhancing your chances for recovery and maintaining your lifestyle.  As mentioned above a diverticula is technically is medical or biological term for an out pouching of a hollow (or a fluid filled) structure in the body. In the case of Diverticulosis these occur along the colon wall, in the case of Diverticulitis the are in the stages of leaking to rupture and become inflamed.