What Is Diverticulitis

 

Diverticula is the term given to small bulging pouches that appear mainly in the digestive tract of a person but can also form in the stomach, oesophagus, small intestine and more commonly in the large intestine.

The pouches appear when excess pressure is put on the muscles when passing hard stools and this pressure generates weakened areas in the colon which bulge out to become pouch like presences.

They are more frequent in people over the age of 60 but are usually unnoticeable until one or several pouches become infected. Once infection occurs it is given the name Diverticulitis and can often be accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, fever and a noticeable change in bowel activity.

As similar symptoms can occur for irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers, it is important that professional advice is sought rather than self diagnosis.

In most cases, people with Diverticulosis will never experience the discomfort of Diverticulitis as infection can easily be prevented.

It is believed that 10 to 25 percent of people with Diverticulosis will progress to Diverticulitis. Although doctors are unsure what the main cause of the initial infection is, it is suggested that infection can occur when bacteria or stool are trapped in the Diverticula.

This condition does not generally discriminate due to race. If the individual adopts a standard western diet, it will affect any race in the same way.