Diverticulitis Can Mimic Colon Cancer Symptoms
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Diverticulitis can give some symptoms similar to colon cancer, but only your doctor can really diagnose this disease.
Diverticulitis results when small pouches in the digestive tract wall become inflamed. These pouches are usually about the size of a marble. They're called diverticula. They form when pressure inside the colon forces some of the inner intestinal lining through weak spots in the outer lining. If you're over 60 years old, you probably have diverticula. This is very common and is not a problem unless the diverticula become inflamed (swollen). When the diverticula become inflamed the condition is called diverticulosis.
Improve your diet
A western diet contributes to this problem. Our low fiber diet in the United States contributes to diverticulosis. A low fiber diet leads to constipation and straining. Straining puts pressure on the colon and causes diverticula. Eating a high fiber diet helps prevent diverticulosis by moving food through the intestines quickly.
You may have diverticulosis and never know it. The disease rarely causes symptoms. If you get your colonoscopy done regularly - and you should - your doctor will be able to tell if you have this disease.
Hidden disease
This disease can stay hidden until a person experiences sudden symptoms. On the other hand, diverticulitis can be very dangerous if not treated promptly. Your symptoms might include lower left abdominal pain. Other symptoms are:
- blood in your stool
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- chills
Inflamed pouches can create a hole in the intestine and infect the abdomen. They can also block the intestine. Sometimes, they form abnormal growths between the colon and other organs. These growths are fistulas.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing the disease is tricky. The symptoms closely mimic those of colon cancer. If you have severe symptoms, your doctor will likely take a CT scan of your abdomen. A CT scan is similar to an x-ray but the doctor can see much more detail. A colonoscopy could rupture inflamed pouches, whereas a CT scan is very safe.
Even after a CT scan, your doctor may have a hard time telling whether you have colon cancer or not. One study showed that over half of the patients that had a CT scan needed further tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Diverticulitis can usually be cured with a hospital stay where you’ll be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
- If you have a blockage or a hole in your intestine, you'll need surgery
- You'll be on a liquid diet until the inflammation dies down
- Your doctor will give you a special high-fiber diet to follow from then on
Since it's difficult for your doctor to tell if you have colon cancer or not, you'll probably be scheduled for a colonoscopy once you've recovered. You'll probably need to have cancer-screening tests more often. Be sure to follow your doctor's recommendations.
Prevention
A healthy life style and regular checkups are the best prevention. Take action to keep your colon healthy. Here are some things you can do to prevent or slow diverticular disease and colon cancer:
- Get your regular checkups and screening tests. Keep your appointments. No excuses.
- Eat plenty of fiber and drink plenty of fluids. Fiber helps move food through your colon, but without enough water, it causes constipation.
- Listen to your body. When you get the urge to use the bathroom, don't delay. Postponing can lead to hard stools, straining and diverticulosis.
- Exercise every day. Moving your body helps your colon function properly.
Protect Yourself From the High Cost of Cancer
According to the recent studies, American men have a 44% chance of developing cancer while the chances for women are about 37%. The general risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 6%. For this reason, it's important for everyone, particularly people above the age of 50 years, to go for routine screening
Whether discovered early or late, cancer is a debilitating disease due to the care, costs and the mental and physical trauma involved. Many times the cost of treatment leaves the patient in heavy financial distress.
Most insurance plans do not cover the total cost of the treatment, which leaves the patient and their family in a lurch. These days people have started purchasing supplemental cancer insurance that can help in covering otherwise uninsured expenses related to cancer illness.
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