Adil E. Bharucha of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. So-called diverticula, which are small pouches along the large intestine, become more common with age. The presence of these pouches is called diverticulosis. If the pouches become inflamed or infected, the condition is called diverticulitis.
Because diverticulosis is uncommon in regions of the world where diets are high in fiber and rich in grains, fruits and vegetables, most doctors believe this condition is due in part to a diet low in fiber.
A low-fiber diet leads to constipation, which increases pressure within the digestive tract with straining during bowel movements. The combination of pressure and straining over many years likely leads to diverticulosis. Most people who have diverticulosis are unaware that they have the condition because it usually does not cause symptoms. It is possible that some people with diverticulosis experience bloating, abdominal cramps, or constipation due to difficulty in stool passage through the affected region of the colon.
Because most people do not have symptoms, diverticulosis is often found incidentally during evaluation for another condition or during a screening exam for polyps. Gastroenterologists can directly visualize the diverticula more than one pouch, or diverticulum in the colon during a procedure that uses a small camera attached to a lighted, flexible tube inserted through the rectum.
One of these procedures is a sigmoidoscopy, which uses a short tube to examine only the rectum and lower part of the colon. A colonoscopy uses a longer tube to examine the entire colon. Diverticulosis can also be seen by other imaging tests, for example, computed tomography CT scan or barium x-rays. Once diverticula form, they do not disappear by themselves.
Fortunately, most patients with diverticulosis do not have symptoms, and therefore do not need treatment. When diverticulosis is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating or constipation, your doctor may recommend a high-fiber diet to help make stools softer and easier to pass.
While it is recommended that we consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily, most people only get about half that amount. Of those 2, patients, 95 patients, or 4. Of those 95, 23 patients, or only 1 percent, developed diverticulitis that met a very rigorous definition of the condition requiring CT scan or surgery to confirm the diagnosis. And although younger patients were more likely to develop diverticulitis, their risk was nowhere near the traditionally cited 25 percent level, Spiegel said.
If providers had more accurate information regarding the risk of diverticulosis complications, they then could make better decisions about the timing of interventions such as surgery. Spiegel said the study had limitations. It was a retrospective, single-center study in a Veterans Affairs hospital where the patients were primarily Western and predominantly male.
Also, the researchers relied on administrative data to identify diverticulitis cases, and some cases may have been missed. If you look on the internet you will unfortunately still see older information about diverticular disease development alongside incorrect advice about avoiding certain foods. You may have read that with a diagnosis of diverticular disease you need to avoid sources of tough fibre such as seeds, nuts, popcorn or fruit skins, it was previously felt that these foods were likely to lodge in the diverticula and cause diverticular disease and diverticulitis.
This is not the case so these foods can be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet. It is important that robust research continues into the causes and treatments for diverticular disease. Guts UK is the only UK charity funding research into the digestive system from top to tail. If you found this information useful, please consider donating to support our work into diverticular disease today. Thank you. The awareness of such research can only help and perhaps inspire others to take on challenges like mine.
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence make evidence-based recommendations on a wide range of topics in health, public health and social care. They recommend the most effective ways to prevent and manage specific conditions and to improve health and manage medicines in different settings. You can find their guidelines on diverticular disease here. We fund life-saving research into diseases of the gut, liver and pancreas. Champion our cause; help us fight digestive diseases and change the lives of millions of people in the UK by supporting our work today.
Skip to content Search Menu Donate. Diverticular disease Download printable version. Overview 2. Causes 3. Diagnosis 4. Symptoms 5. Treatment 6. Myths 7. This factsheet is about diverticular disease of the large bowel colon.
What does diverticular disease look like? Diverticul um : A diverticulum is a small pouch about 1cm in size which sticks out from the wall of the colon. Diverticul a : This refers to more than one Diverticulum.
The most common site for diverticula is on the lower part of the large bowel on the left-hand side. They are permanent unless the affected part of the bowel is surgically removed. Diverticul itis : Diverticulitis means the condition that occurs when a single diverticulum or several diverticula become inflamed or infected. Diverticul osis : You may have heard the term diverticulosis, which means the presence of diverticula, this is not the same as diverticular disease.
Most people with diverticulosis do not have, or go on to develop, diverticular disease. The great majority of people with diverticulosis will live out their lives never having symptoms. What causes the development of diverticula? How is diverticular disease diagnosed? How can diverticular disease affect you? Symptoms The most common symptoms include lower abdominal pain, bloating increase in abdominal size due to gas , change in bowel habit diarrhoea or constipation and mucus or blood in the stool.
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