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Diverticulitis is an inflammation of a diverticulum. Diverticulosis is the
condition of having diverticula (more than one diverticulum), which are
small pouches of bulging intestine, most commonly the sigmoid colon.
Diverticulosis is common in countries where people tend to eat processed
foods and have a lower fiber intake. Low fiber diets force the bowel to work
harder to move feces through and can cause people to strain while
defecating. This causes stress on the weakest points of the bowel, which
bulge out and form diverticula. These pockets are not harmful in themselves
and are quite common; problems arise when a diverticula becomes infected.
Infection and inflammation of the diverticula is called diverticulitis. A
high fiber diet is recommended for people with diverticulosis, as this diet
seems to reduce the incidence of diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis is most common in people over 50. Obesity, particularly
carrying a lot of weight in the abdominal region, is a risk factor for
developing diverticulitis at a younger age. Symptoms of acute diverticulitis
include lower left abdominal pain (where the sigmoid colon is located),
although right side diverticulitis does occur less frequently. The abdomen
is usually tender. As the infection progresses, nausea, vomiting, abdominal
cramping and constipation may occur. Diverticulitis symptoms vary depending
on the location and severity of the infection.
Diverticulitis is diagnosed based on symptoms, CT scans of the abdomen and
elevated white blood cell count. Colonoscopy is not usually used due to an
increased risk of intestinal perforation. The CT scan shows the location of
the diverticula in the colon. Other conditions including irritable bowel
syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease have similar symptoms to
diverticulitis.
Most people with diverticulosis have no symptoms or mild symptoms unless an
infection-diverticulitis-occurs. Diverticulitis can usually be resolved with
medication and diet changes, though recurrent or severe cases may require
surgery to remove the affected section of bowel. Untreated, diverticulitis
can result in serious complications, so see a doctor immediately if you
think you may have an infection.
Please contact us if
you are experiencing any of the symptoms above for an evaluation.
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