Questionwhat is divictulitus and what causes it
AnswerDiverticulitis...
Diverticulitis - Topic Overview straight from WebMD.com
What is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is a sometimes painful condition that develops when pouches (diverticula) that form in the wall of the colon, part of the large intestine, become inflamed or infected.
Most of the time, diverticulitis can be treated with dietary changes and-if there is an infection-with antibiotics. About one-quarter of people with diverticulitis have complications, such as an abscess, fistula, or obstruction of the colon, that require surgery.
What causes diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is thought to be the result of a diet that is too low in fiber. Without fiber to add bulk to the stool, the colon must exert more pressure than normal to move the stool forward. The pressure may cause pouches (diverticula) to form in weak spots along the colon. Diverticulitis occurs when these pouches become inflamed or infected.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of diverticulitis depend on the degree of inflammation or infection. Most commonly, diverticulitis causes pain in the lower left part of the abdomen. Other symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and chills and fever or other signs of infection.
How is diverticulitis diagnosed?
Your health professional will do a medical history and physical examination. Depending on your symptoms, you may have one or more tests to rule out other medical problems that could be causing your symptoms.
You may have a complete blood count (CBC) to find out whether you have an infection, which can occur with diverticulitis, or whether you have too few red blood cells in your blood, possibly because of bleeding in your colon. Other tests that may be done include imaging studies such as computed tomography (CT) scan, barium enema X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy.
How is it treated?
Treatment for diverticulitis usually involves resting the bowel with a liquid diet and, if an infection is present, taking antibiotics. After the infection goes away, you can return to a solid-food diet and then can gradually increase the amount of fiber you eat.
Surgery may be necessary if diverticulitis does not respond to treatment or if complications occur, such as chronic pain or a bowel obstruction, fistula, or pocket of infection (abscess).
How can I prevent diverticulitis?
Eating a high-fiber diet, drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly may help prevent the formation of diverticula and attacks of diverticulitis.
