Reviewed by Dr. Clement J. Cheng
Diverticulitis and diverticulosis are relatively common conditions of older people in developed countries. Low-fiber, processed foods can cause constipation. Constipation, in turn, leads to pressure on the colon, which causes pouches, or diverticula, to form on the outside of the colon.
Diverticulitis is the inflammation of diverticula on the walls of the intestines. The formation of these pouches, which many people live with painlessly, is known as diverticulosis. Diverticula mainly appear at the end of the descending and sigmoid colons, though they can appear anywhere along the digestive tract.
Half of Americans age 60 to 80 have diverticulosis. Ten to 25 percent of these people develop diverticulitis.
Diverticula can be painless and exhibit few symptoms. Occasionally they will cause cramping on the left side when passing gas or moving bowels. Most people with diverticulosis are unaware they suffer from this condition because the symptoms are so mild. Also, the symptoms are similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other conditions.
Diverticulitis occurs when the diverticula become infected or inflamed. This condition may be acute—one or more severe attacks of inflammation—or chronic—inflammation or infection that subsides but never disappears. The severity of the symptoms differs from case to case.
