Diverticulitis. It May Sound Funny, but It's Not

While it may be a funny sounding word, diagnosis of this somewhat common disease is not. Diverticulitis is a disease that is the result of a condition called diverticulousis. This condition is common in modern developed countries among the elderly population. Third world countries have less of a rate of occurrence for this since the staple diet is high in roughage and fiber as opposed to the processed foods of the more modern countries. According to the Mayo clinic, over 50 percent of the adult population over aged 60 in America have diverticula's, which are small bulging pouches in the digestive tract. These are considered to be a no threatening abnormality since most of the time these pouches are benign and seldom cause problems. Although they are usually found in the large intestine, they can be found in other parts of the digestive tract.

Diverticulitis develops when one or more of these small pouches become inflamed or infected, causing symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea and problems with your bowels. Mild cases caught early on can be relieved by a regimen of antibiotics and diet changes. More sever cases can require hospitalization and possibly surgery to remove a section of the affected area.

Signs and symptoms can often be hard to detect at first, since many patients with no prior history of problems often mistake them for flu symptoms early on such as fever, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. As the problem progresses, patients have abdominal pain on the lower left side of the abdomen which may come on suddenly or gradually worsen over a period of days. Other less common symptoms include vomiting, bloating, bleeding from the rectum and frequent urination. Symptoms of Diverticulitis are sometimes confused with appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease or irritable bowel syndrome.

In certain rare instances, diverticula's may rupture, spilling intestinal waste into the abdominal cavity and causing a condition called peritonitis. This is an inflammation of the lining of your abdominal cavity and can be life threatening, requiring immediate medical attention. Other complications include blockage of the colon, abscesses or fistula. A fistula is an abnormal passageway which opens up between parts of your intestine and your bladder, vagina or abdominal wall. Fistulas are the leading cause of docters recommending surgery for patients with the disease. Diverticulitis has not been directly linked to colon or intestinal cancer but it can make diagnosis more difficult.

Treatment of Diverticulitis includes liquid and low fiber diets combined with antibiotics. Severe cases may require surgery. Primary bowel resection is a common form of surgery for Diverticulitis. Surgery for extreme cases include bowel resection with a colostomy.

Risk factors for Diverticulitis include age, too little fiber in diet, and lack of exercise. Though the presence of diverticula's on the digestive tract are common in Western countries, lesser developed countries show less cases because the common diet is much higher in fiber. Maintaining a diet high in fiber and healthy amounts of exercise can avoid serious effects from diverticula's which may develop. Only a small percentage of cases develop into Diverticulitis despite the common appearance of the diverticula's in patients. Routine testing for colon and intestinal cancer can help prevent the onset of Diverticulitis and reveal when diverticula's do appear so the patient can be aware that a problem may arise and attempt to prevent it with changes in diet and health routine. Recovery rates for patients diagnosed with diverticulitis are extremly high and are quite good for extreme cases if treated at the onset. Cases which lead to Peritonitis are extremely rare and have a rather good recovery rate in modernized countries as well.