How common are colonic diverticula? We are all born without colonic diverticula, but many of us acquire them over a lifetime. In Western societies, half the population will have at least one, and usually a few dozen, by age 60.
Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system. They are found most often in the lower part of the large intestine (colon). Diverticula are common, especially after age 40, and seldom cause problems.
Not eating enough fiber causes a buildup of waste (constipation) in your colon. Constipation puts extra strain on the walls of the colon. This increased pressure causes the little pockets — the diverticula — to form in weak areas in your colon.
Once you developed diverticula, they are unlikely to go away. Bleeding and inflammation are two common complications of diverticulosis. Diet plays an important role in the prevention of the progression of diverticulosis, but will not be able to reverse the process.
More than 30% of U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 59 and more than 70% of those older than age 80 have diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis will never develop symptoms or problems.
Once diverticula form, they do not disappear by themselves. Fortunately, most patients with diverticulosis do not have symptoms, and therefore do not need treatment.
Diverticular disease is caused by small bulges in the large intestine (diverticula) developing and becoming inflamed. If any of the diverticula become infected, this leads to symptoms of diverticulitis. The exact reason why diverticula develop is not known, but they are associated with not eating enough fibre.
Uncomplicated diverticulitis
Your doctor is likely to recommend: Antibiotics to treat infection, although new guidelines state that in very mild cases, they may not be needed. A liquid diet for a few days while your bowel heals. Once your symptoms improve, you can gradually add solid food to your diet.
Generally, it's not a cause for concern. Diverticulosis by itself typically doesn't trigger any symptoms. Rarely, diverticula may bleed, causing blood in the stool. As in your case, diverticulosis is often found during a routine colonoscopy or on an imaging exam, such as a CT scan, that's done for another reason.
A polyp found during colonoscopy in patients with colonic diverticular disease may be removed by endoscopic polypectomy with electrosurgical snare, a procedure associated with an incidence of perforation of less than 0.05%.
The vast majority of patients would live their whole lives without having any sort of complication. The reason to be concerned is that there is a risk for complications, and there are ways that we reduce those complications: Increase your dietary fiber.
It is possible that stress plays a role in the development of diverticulitis as it is estimated that in 60 percent of cases the condition occurs due to environmental causes. Stress on the digestive system commonly experienced because of low fiber diets. Diets high in fat may also cause diverticulitis.
Constipation and straining during bowel movements can worsen the condition. A diet rich in fiber can help keep stools soft and prevent inflammation. Diverticulitis occurs when the pouches in the colon become infected or inflamed. Dietary changes can help the colon heal.
Diverticulosis occurs when small, bulging pouches (diverticula) develop in your digestive tract. When one or more of these pouches become inflamed or infected, the condition is called diverticulitis.
Diverticula are the opposite of polyps because diverticula are small pouches that are open to the lumen (the channel within a tube such as a blood vessel or to the cavity within a hollow organ, for example, the large bowel). Colon polyps and diverticulitis have similar symptoms that include: Abdominal pain. Bloating.
The recent literature does not identify diverticular disease as a long-term risk factor for colorectal cancer. However, the risk of colorectal cancer is increased in the short-term period after hospitalization related to diverticular disease.
How is complicated diverticulitis treated? In about 80 out of 100 people, complicated diverticulitis clears up within a few weeks of having treatment with antibiotics. About 20 out of 100 people have surgery.
The doctor also may suggest taking a fiber product, such as Citrucel® or Metamucil®, once a day. Your doctor may recommend a low- or high-fiber diet depending on your condition. Listed below are high-fiber food options for diverticulosis and low-fiber food options for diverticulitis.
Diverticular Disease
In addition, vigorous exercise can significantly reduce an individual's risk for the disease. In a recently-published 18-year study of approximately 50,000 US males aged 40-75 years, researchers found a lower incidence of diverticular disease complications in those who were physically active.
Diverticulitis stool characteristics
Color: The stool may be bright red, maroon, or black and tarry, which indicates the presence of blood. Stools may contain more mucus than normal.
Your doctor may recommend surgery if you have: multiple severe episodes of diverticulitis uncontrolled by medications and lifestyle changes. bleeding from your rectum. intense pain in your abdomen for a few days or more.
Diverticular bleeding occurs when a small blood vessel within the wall of a pouch, or diverticulum, bursts.
Probiotics combined with mesalazine have also emerged as an alternative potential therapeutic strategy in preventing recurrent attacks of diverticulitis. One series reported that treatment with mesalazine and/or lactobacillus casei induced remission in 88% of their patients at a median follow-up of 2 years.
If you don't treat it, diverticulitis can lead to serious complications that require surgery: Abscesses, collections of pus from the infection, may form around the infected diverticula. If these go through the intestinal wall, you could get peritonitis. This infection can be fatal.