Diverticular Disease: Defining Diverticulosis And Diverticulitis

If You Suffer With Diverticulitis Here Are The Key Points.....

When discussing Diverticulitis we need to look at the more general term of the diverticular disease which includes diverticulosis and diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is a very common condition that many people have without even knowing they have it. Incidents is especially high in the elderly  were over 60% of the general population over 80 years of age have diverticulosis. In people under 40 years of age the incidents is less than 10%.  For the most part most people who suffer from diverticulosis will not experience any symptoms and only become aware they have the condition when they are being examined for some other gastrointestinal disturbance.

However, the relatively benign condition of diverticulosis can quickly turn nasty entering the active inflammatory phase of the condition known as diverticulitis. Fortunately only 20% of people who are diagnosed with diverticulosis will develop diverticulitis.

In diverticulitis, diverticula become inflamed and infected usually due to fluid and fecal material becoming lodged in them. This creates an environment where bacteria can grow quickly leading to infection.

In many cases the infection and inflammation can spontaneously heal and no further treatment is needed. More commonly the inflammation increases to the point of needing medical intervention.

The specific symptoms of diverticulitis are largely dependent on how much inflammation and infection is present. Symptoms can range from obvious digestive and abdominal complaints such as localised pain in the lower left side of the abdomen, nausea and vomiting and constipation and/or diarrhoea.

Additionally there can be a more general signs of information infection such as alternating fever and chills.

It is important that the appropriate treatment be given as early as possible once diverticulitis has been diagnosed. If the condition is not addressed quickly complications can occur such as abscess development or colon obstruction. In some cases these complications require surgical intervention to correct them.

If the diverticulitis is caught early enough in the active phase specific dietary changes (the so called diverticulitis diet) are usually enough to treat the condition. If  infection is present antibiotic medication is prescribed. The combination of the diverticulitis diet and antibiotic use  a usually more than enough to correct the condition if it is caught early enough.