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Diverticular Disease and Diverticulitis

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Diverticular Disease and Diverticulitis
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Diverticular Disease and Diverticulitis

The colon is a long tube-like structure approximately 6 feet in length that stores and then eliminates waste material left over after digestion of food in the small intestine takes place. It is thought that pressure within the colon causes bulging pockets of tissue (sacs) that push out from the colonic walls as a person ages. A small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall is called a diverticulum. More than one bulging sac is referred to in the plural as diverticula. Diverticula can occur throughout the colon but are most common near the end of the left colon, referred to as the sigmoid colon, in Western countries. In Asia, the diverticula occur mostly on the right side of the colon. The condition of having these diverticula in the colon is called diverticulosis.


Diverticula are common in the Western world but are rare in areas such as Asia and Africa. Diverticula increase with age. They are uncommon before the age of 40, but are seen in more than 74% of people over the age of 80 years in the U.S. A person with diverticulosis usually has few or no symptoms. The most common symptoms associated with diverticulosis are abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. In some of these patients the symptoms may be due to the concomitant presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or abnormalities in the function of the muscles of the sigmoid colon (in which case it is referred to as diverticular disease); simple diverticula should cause no symptoms. Occasionally, bleeding originates from a diverticulum, and it is referred to as diverticular bleeding.

Feeling generally unwell (flu-like symptoms)
High temperature (above 38oC)
Shivering
Acute tenderness and pain in the abdomen (tummy)
Bloating
Rectal bleeding
Nausea and vomiting
Becoming pale and clammy
Palpitations, feeling that your heart is beating very fast
Generalised weakness and fatigue
It's not known exactly why some people get diverticular disease, but it seems to be linked to age, diet and lifestyle, and genetics.

Age
As you get older, the walls of your large intestine become weaker and the pressure of hard stools passing through your intestines can cause diverticula to form.
The majority of people will have some diverticula by the time they are 80 years old.

Diet and lifestyle
Not eating enough fibre is thought to be linked to developing diverticular disease and diverticulitis.
Fibre helps to make your stools softer and larger, so they put less pressure on the walls of your intestines.
Some other things that seem to increase your risk include:

smoking
being overweight or obese
having a history of constipation
long-term regular use of painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin

Traditional advice was to eat a high-fibre diet.
 
However, it is now thought that a low-fibre or low-residue diet can ease the symptoms when there is a flare up or suspected inflammation.
 
This reduces the likelihood of waste matter brushing against and irritating the affected bowel wall.
 
Regular doses of paracetamol can be used to relieve pain.
 
Avoid products containing codeine or opiates, as these cause constipation.
 
Where you must take these for other painful conditions, your GP may prescribe laxatives to help you open your bowels.

https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org
https://www.nhs.uk
https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org

Diverticular Disease and Diverticulitis

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