Common Questions: Diverticulitis
What foods trigger diverticulitis?
Can diverticulitis pain radiate to the back?
Can diverticulitis heal itself?
What is the best treatment for diverticulitis?
What drinks should you avoid with diverticulitis?
Common Questions: Colon and Rectal (Colorectal) Cancer
What are the early warning signs of colorectal cancer?
How long does it take for colorectal cancer to develop?
Are colon cancer, rectal cancer, and colorectal cancer all the same?
Can you die from colorectal cancer?
Where is the first place colorectal cancer spreads?
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No specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis, but a low-fiber, high-animal-fat diet may increase your risk. Contrary to a once-popular belief, nuts, popcorn, and seeds don’t cause diverticulitis.
Blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits marked by constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain, bloating, and weight loss are among the early signs of colon cancer.
Symptoms of diverticulitis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and constipation or diarrhea. Pain also often affects the lower left side of the abdomen, but can radiate to the back, legs, groin, and side as well.
Most cases of colorectal cancer begin as a polyp, and it may take as long as 10 to 15 years to become cancerous. For this reason, regular screening to identify and remove polyps is the best way to prevent colon cancer.
Very mild diverticulitis may improve on its own without treatment. But oftentimes, even the mildest symptoms require an antibiotic and over-the-counter pain relievers to treat the infection and inflammation, respectively.
Colon cancer begins in the colon and rectal cancer begins in the rectum, but both areas are part of the digestive system. Because of this, cancers that occur in either area are sometimes referred to as colorectal cancer.
Your doctor may recommend oral antibiotics, pain relievers, and a liquid diet until your bowel heals. Slowly increasing your fiber intake can also improve symptoms. Severe or complicated diverticulitis may require hospitalization or surgery to treat an abscess, repair a rupture in the bowel wall, or remove diseased parts of the intestines.
Yes. The odds of survival are highest for colorectal cancers caught at an early stage. For example, localized colorectal cancer that has not spread outside the colon or rectum has a 90 percent five-year survival rate, while those cancers that have spread to nearby or distant organs have 75 percent and 14 percent five-year survival rates, respectively.
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Drinking plenty of fluids can soften your stools, making them easier to pass. Aim for six to eight cups of fluid per day. This can include water, tea, coffee, and fruit juice. Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause bloating or gas and worsen symptoms of diverticulitis.
Colon cancer typically spreads to the liver first, though it can spread to other areas of the body, including the lungs and brain.