Causes Of Diverticular Disease

Causes of Diverticular Disease

Diverticulosis is very common, being found in more than half of Americans over the age of 60. Only a small percentage of these people will develop the complication of diverticulitis. Diverticulitis can lead to complications such as infections, perforations or tears, blockages or bleeding. These complications always require treatment to prevent them from progressing and causing serious illness. The diverticula may also get infected. This is caused by stool or food that is not broken down and gets trapped, causing swelling and pain.

A diverticulum can become infected with bacteria and rupture, causing diverticulitis. Fever, pain, and tenderness of the lower left abdomen are common symptoms. Constipation and diarrhea may also occur. Direct risk factors for diverticulitis are not known, but they may include older age or a low fiber diet. To prevent diverticulitis, eat regular, nutritious meals containing high fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables. It is also vital to drink plenty of water and to watch for changes in bowel movements, get enough rest and sleep, and to avoid foods such as popcorn.

Diverticular disease essentially results from eating a diet that contains too little fiber. Fiber itself is not ingested, but passes through the intestines basically unchanged. This passing softens the stool and its passage. Lack of fiber causes dry and small stools which require the intestinal muscles to contract with greater force to pass them along. This generates a higher pressure in the large intestines. The excess pressure leads to weak spots in the colon walls that eventually bulge out and form pouches called diverticula. Existing weakness in the colon walls also contribute to the development of diverticula. Most often, the pouches form in the sigmoid colon, which is the lower left part of the colon which connects to the rectum. This area of the colon is subject to the highest amount of pressure because it is the narrowest portion of the large intestine.

Diverticular disease is most often found in men over the age of 40 and is rarely found in cultures with poor diets. Retained and undigested foods mixed with bacteria accumulate in the diverticular sac, which forms a hard mass. This substance cuts off the blood supply to the thin walls of the sac, which makes them more susceptible to attack by colonic bacteria. Inflammation typically follows and may lead to perforation, abscess, peritonitis, obstruction, or hemorrhage. On occasion, the inflamed colon segment may produce a fistula by adhering to the bladder or other organs.

For uncomplicated divertusulosis, the primary physician may recommend a high fiber diet and the use of stool softeners. An attack of acute diverticulitis may require hospitalization which will include a treatment regimen of antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and nasogastric suction, which is a procedure that relieves pressure in the intestine. In most cases which require surgery, the surgeon will remove the diseased section of the intestine and joins the remaining sections together. Some patients may require a temporary colostomy. A colostomy is an operation to bring part of the large intestine to the abdominal surface to form a new opening for bowel movements. Diverticulitis is usually mild and should respond well to antibiotics and changes in diet.

News About Diverticulitis

Community notes: Free blood test (The Reporter) 16 Mar 2010 at 5:45am
HATFIELD - Free test kits on Thursday

St. Luke's Miners welcomes fellowship trained colon, rectal surgeons (Times N... 15 Mar 2010 at 2:19pm
W. Terence Reilly, MD, FASCRS, Camille Eyvazzadeh, MD, FASCRS and Daniel J. Bowers, MD are treating patients at St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital.

Sidelined no more (Honolulu Star-Bulletin) 10 Mar 2010 at 3:39am
Colin Nishida, chef-owner at the popular Side Street Inn, survived a life-threatening medical battle last year that left him unconscious in the hospital for two months. Now he has five bellybuttons.

Rochester writers (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) 7 Mar 2010 at 2:12am
Bruce Bennett writes a novel that joins people from many cultures; RIT graduate David S. Kidder contributes to a book on health.

Have Your Steak and Eat It, Too (The Cornell Daily Sun) 4 Mar 2010 at 9:17pm
Sometimes I try to be a public servant. And no ? that was not a typo ? there was meant to be an ?l? in ?public.? Therefore as my duty to my gender and all that is hol(e)y, I must inform, promote and encourage others to observe the most under-appreciated, under-celebrated (and hopefully not undercooked), holiday of the year.

Expert gives talk to seniors on healthy eating (Wilton Bulletin) 3 Mar 2010 at 9:08pm
March is National Nutrition Month and on Wednesday, March 10, at Ogden House, Elaine Abrams will remind us that good diet habits are particularly important for older adults. Why? Because diet plays a vital role in disease prevention and management as we age.

Top 5 Ways to Get More Fiber (ABC News) 1 Mar 2010 at 7:11am
Dr. Marie Savard on how to improve your health by increasing your fiber intake. Business - Fiber - Textiles and Nonwovens - Telecommunications - Equipment

Doc says, eat your fibre (North Island MidWeek) 1 Mar 2010 at 1:08pm
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Bulletin Board: March 1, 2010 (The Saratogian) 1 Mar 2010 at 2:17am
Auxiliary to meet tonight

Mailbag: Where does Cain stand? (Yahoo! Sports via Yahoo! Sports) 23 Feb 2010 at 11:02am
Fans are buzzing about Cain Velasquez's stunning knockout of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Diverticulitis Books & Resources

The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut : The Complete Nutritional Guide to Ileiti...

The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut : The Complete Nutritional Guide to Ileitis, Colitis, Crohn's Disease, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Paperback)
By James Scala

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100 used and new from $2.24
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First tagged "diverticulitis" by Irish Lady "Stargazer"

Diverticulitis: Safe Alternatives Without Drugs Thorsons Natural Health

Diverticulitis: Safe Alternatives Without Drugs Thorsons Natural Health (The Self Help Series) (Paperback)
By Arthur White

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