Diverticulitis by itself can be uncomfortable, but it can be much worse when combined with acute exhaustion. Diverticulitis patients who experience extraordinary fatigue are most definitely not alone in this!
So, do you want to know ‘Why am I so tired with Diverticulitis?’
Diverticulitis patients may experience fatigue due to dehydration, anaemia, difficulty sleeping, depression, obesity, allergy diseases, pregnancy, ageing, alcohol use, antibiotic use, and other drugs. If you’re still unsure, this article goes into great depth about each one.
So! Let’s read the material that follows to clear up any doubts you may have and to put you at ease.
Reasons of Why Am I so tired with Diverticulitis?
Along with your diverticulitis, there may be a number of other causes for your fatigue. Following are some of the causes.
Body is Dehydrated
One of the crucial responsibilities that we repeatedly fail to carry out is keeping the body hydrated. Nearly 60% of our body is made up of water.
When we lose more water from our bodies than we take in, we become dehydrated. As a result, vital bodily metabolic functions are impeded.
You can feel more tired and frail than usual if you’re dehydrated. We are more susceptible to dehydration when we are ill or have an illness.
If you are not very careful to replace your body with enough fluids when you have diverticulitis, you could quickly get dehydrated. Extreme exhaustion and weakness will result from this process.
To avoid experiencing unusual exhaustion combined with your normal fatigue, consult your doctor to ensure that you are consuming the proper amount of water throughout the day.
Anaemia
Your body may not produce enough red blood cells if you don’t get enough iron in your diet. For the body’s many cells to receive oxygen, red blood cells are necessary.
Without red blood cells, the body’s cells are unable to digest sugar to create energy because they are not receiving enough oxygen. The result may be acute exhaustion.
If you have Anaemia, you can learn how to treat minor cases of Anaemia at home by increasing your Hamoglobin levels.
Diverticulitis and other conditions that impair digestion can prevent you from absorbing iron from food normally. Other gastrointestinal disorders including Crohn’s disease and colitis can also prevent the body from absorbing iron from the diet normally.
Fail to sleep
Digestive tract inflammation is known as diverticulitis. Any form of inflammation can disrupt your regular sleep pattern.
As a result, you can have trouble falling asleep at night due to your diverticulitis. Along with having diverticulitis, not getting enough sleep can also leave you feeling unusually exhausted.
Your body is deprived of hormones like somatotropin, which promotes the body’s natural healing processes when you don’t get enough sleep.
Diverticulitis thus interferes with your body’s natural cycles of healing and sleep, ultimately making you fatigued.
Depression
Some individuals’ chronic medical issues and major illnesses might contribute to depression. Among the main indications of depression are:
- Loss of enthusiasm for routine activities
- Loss of weight
- Gaining weight
- Unable to fall asleep
- Exhaustion
Feeling exhausted most of the time and lacking the energy to do daily duties can be caused by depression. Diverticulitis is a condition that can make daily life difficult for a person. As a result, persistent diverticulitis might cause sadness.
Along with your diverticulitis treatment approaches, your doctor may advise antidepressants. You may feel lighter and less exhausted during the day if you take antidepressants.
In addition, your doctor may advise psychotherapy, which entails speaking with a qualified practitioner, to lessen your depression.
Obesity or overweight
Obesity and overweight can increase the risk of developing illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, and sleep apnea. Additionally, these illnesses may contribute to weariness, particularly if you have diverticulitis.
Additionally, obesity raises your chance of getting diverticulitis. Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain a healthy weight in order to prevent a variety of illnesses and difficulties.
You can get assistance with food plans for weight loss from your doctor, dietician, or nutritionist.
Allergic reactions
Diverticulitis is a condition that already limits your ability to eat. Additionally, some people may have dietary allergies, which will make matters more challenging.
Extreme exhaustion and discomfort can result from severe allergic reactions.
If you have a food allergy, you should tell your doctor right away. Your doctor can assist with adjusting your diet to accommodate both your diverticulitis and allergies.
You can lessen your allergy symptoms by taking medications like antihistamines and adrenaline.
Pregnancy
Being pregnant can be physically demanding since your body must care for both you and your developing child. Your body requires more calories and nutrients than usual while you are pregnant. This might make you feel more worn out.
If you have diverticulitis and are pregnant, discuss this with your doctor. Your doctor can provide you with prescription drugs that will make it easier for you to manage both your pregnancy and diverticulitis.
Age
We become increasingly vulnerable to chronic illnesses as we age due to a number of physiological changes in our bodies. Additionally, as we age, we get more exhausted than usual.
Diverticulitis is a condition that affects older people more frequently than younger people. In addition to ageing, other conditions like diverticulitis can make you feel extremely exhausted.
Alcohol intake
Drinking alcohol can harm our bodies in a variety of ways. Alcohol can, however, have more negative consequences for those who have diverticulitis, such as weariness.
Antibiotic Intake
Numerous medical ailments, including skin infections, lung infections, sinus issues, and urinary tract infections, can be helped by antibiotics. However, some antibiotic side effects, like excessive fatigue, are possible.
Antibiotics must be used often to treat diverticulitis patients. They may have negative side effects like fatigue.
The fact that antibiotics change the normal balance of microbiomes, particularly in the gut, is one of the potential causes of antibiotic-induced fatigue. Lethargy may result from this reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
How to manage Diverticulitis and tiredness?
Increase your water intake if your diverticulitis is accompanied by fatigue. This will keep you hydrated and make you feel less worn out. Adopt a balanced diet. Don’t restrict your diet to simply foods high in protein, such as red meat. Try to eat a balanced diet that includes fiber, minerals, vitamins, fats, and proteins. Supplement-topped overnight oats can also be a fantastic choice.
Your body can release hormones that make you feel happier by exercising. As a result, exercise can increase your energy. It will also enhance general blood circulation and assist your body in sweating out pollutants. Your energy levels may decline if you are always under a lot of stress. Yoga and meditation are two stress-reduction practice that might make you feel more energized than you might otherwise.
Get the required amount of sleep, which should be at least 6 to 8 hours per night. Our bodies depend on sleep as a vital component to maintain health and prevent disease. Consume supplements It could be advisable to take extra supplements in addition to your regular diet because diverticulitis can somewhat impair your ability to absorb nutrients.
How to prevent Diverticulitis and tiredness?
It’s often claimed that prevention is better than cure. There aren’t many preventative measures that can assist you to avoid the infamous illness.
Several of them are listed below:
- Consume more fiber
- Take in a lot of water.
- Consume a healthy diet.
- Regular exercise
- Don’t smoke
- Get enough rest.
- Limit your alcohol consumption.
When Should You Visit Your Doctor?
Diverticulitis must be treated by a physician and cannot be fully treated at home. If you continue to experience excessive fatigue throughout the day even after trying all of the aforementioned remedies, speak with your doctor about additional treatment possibilities.
Once diverticulitis has been identified, it is critical that you are informed of your treatment choices.
Antibiotics are typically used to treat diverticulitis patients in order to eradicate their illnesses. Diverticulitis patients who have mild illnesses are given antibiotic medications to take at home. However, it is advised that individuals with severe conditions and problems undergo hospital-provided intravenous antibiotics.
Another successful treatment method is to relax the bowels. Your physician will advise you to follow a restricted diet for a few days. Examples include water, clear soups, juices without pulp, plain tea, and plain coffee. White rice, white spaghetti, white bread, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, and other low-fiber meals that are easy on your digestive system may eventually be permitted.
You will require surgery to treat your diverticulitis if it has resulted in major complications like intestine rupture or peritonitis.
How long does it take to recover from Diverticulitis?
Uncomplicated diverticulitis usually resolves on its own within a week in 95 out of 100 persons. About 5 out of 100 people have persistent symptoms that require medical attention. Rarely is surgery required.
Complicated diverticulitis usually goes away after a few weeks of antibiotic therapy in roughly 80 out of 100 persons. One in every twenty persons undergoes surgery.
Effective ways to treat Diverticulitis
Once they develop, diverticula cannot be removed medically and remain there permanently. Changing your diet can lower your risk of getting sick. Your doctor might recommend a high-fiber diet if you have a moderate case of diverticulosis in order to ensure regular bowel movements and lower your risk of developing diverticulitis.
If you develop diverticulitis, you must see a doctor to assure a complete recovery and avoid any possibly fatal consequences. An antibiotic regimen, dietary modifications, and maybe surgery is used to treat diverticulitis.
Mild diverticulitis infections can be treated with bed rest, stool softeners, a fluid diet, medicines to attack the infection, and possibly antispasmodic drugs.
To receive intravenous (via vein) antibiotics, you will likely be hospitalized if you have a perforation or a more serious illness. You might also be fed via continuous feeding as your colon recovers. In order to relieve intestinal tension and drain infected abscesses, your doctor may also determine that you need to have a temporary colostomy.
Your intestines will discharge into a bag attached to the front of your belly through an opening, or stoma, created by a colostomy. Depending on how well the patient has recovered, this procedure might be reversed during a subsequent procedure.
Factors that increase the risk of Diverticulitis
Risk factors for diverticulitis include a number of the following:
- Diverticulitis is more common as people age. The likelihood of acquiring diverticulitis increases if you are really overweight. Diverticulitis is more prevalent in smokers compared to non-smokers.
- Exercise that is vigorously done seems to lower the incidence of diverticulitis. A high-animal fat, low-fiber diet. Although the effect of low fiber on its own is unclear, a low-fiber diet coupled with a high intake of animal fat appears to raise the risk.
- Certain medicines which include several substances have been associated with an increased incidence of diverticulitis, including steroids, opiates, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) (Aleve).
Conclusion
Why am I so tired with Diverticulitis? is a question that this article tries to address by examining a number of potential causes. Things will undoubtedly become a little simpler for you if you have a better understanding of the sickness you are dealing with.
However, if your diverticulitis and fatigue symptoms persist for a long time and are not relieved by the aforementioned advice, you should always visit a doctor.
