Most patients with diverticulitis are older than 50 years; the mean age at presentation appears to be about 60 years. However, diverticulitis is increasingly being seen in younger persons.
People are more likely to develop diverticulosis and diverticulitis as they age. Among people younger than age 50, diverticulitis is more common in men than in women. However, among people ages 50 and older, diverticulitis is more common in women.
Diverticula are common, especially after age 40, and seldom cause problems. The presence of diverticula is known as diverticulosis (die-vur-tik-yoo-LOE-sis). When one or more of the pouches become inflamed, and in some cases infected, that condition is known as diverticulitis (die-vur-tik-yoo-LIE-tis).
Age is a major risk factor for diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is uncommon before age 40, but about one-third of all Americans will develop the condition by age 60, and two-thirds will have it by age 85. That makes diverticulosis one of the most common medical conditions in the United States. It wasn't always this way.
Diverticular disease is regarded as a chronic condition, which requires lifelong management. Flare-up attacks may or may not occur following the first experience, which largely depends on a person's state of health and how well measures to prevent complications are maintained.
A cohort study including 445,456 Danish adults found that patients with diverticular disease had a 120% higher risk of colon cancer compared to those without diverticulitis after an 18-year follow-up period [2]. This positive association was also revealed in several other observational studies [3,4,5].
In rare cases, an infected diverticulum (pouch in your colon) can split, spreading the infection into the lining of your abdomen (perforation). An infection of the lining of the abdomen is known as peritonitis. Peritonitis can be life-threatening, and requires immediate treatment with antibiotics.
Also, the mean age of patients with the first episode of diverticulitis is approximately 65 years, and such patients have an average life expectancy of 14 years.
Compared with reference individuals, patients with diverticular disease had statistically significantly increased overall cancer incidence (24.5 vs 18.1 per 1000 person-years), equivalent to 1 extra cancer case in 16 individuals with diverticular disease followed-up for 10 years.
CAUSES. The most commonly accepted theory for the formation of diverticulosis is related to high pressure within the colon, which causes weak areas of the colon wall to bulge out and form the sacs. A diet low in fiber and high in red meat may also play a role.
As you age, your risk of developing diverticular disease increases even further. Most people who have this condition, also known as diverticulosis, never know it, because the diverticula do not usually cause any major symptoms or complications. Occasionally, though, these pockets become painfully infected.
Physical adaptation to a severe social stress possibly generates sustained dominance of the sympathetic over the parasympathetic activity, leading through a prolonged spasm of the sigmoid to the creation of diverticula and the related disease.
Common signs of diverticulitis include: Abdominal cramping. Abdominal bloating, pain, and tenderness. Chills and/or fever.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
According to the American Gastrointestinal Association (AGA) guidelines, it is recommended to perform a colonoscopy six to eight weeks after resolution of acute diverticulitis [1].
It is possible that diverticulitis may initiate inflammatory changes which resemble Crohn's disease histologically, but do not carry the clinical implications of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
It's common as you get older, and most people never have any problems with it. But if one of your diverticula becomes inflamed, it can cause acute pain and other symptoms. It might mean that it has an infection, which needs medical attention.
In about 80 out of 100 people, complicated diverticulitis clears up within a few weeks of having treatment with antibiotics.
After you go home, you may have diarrhea on and off during the first month. It takes about three months for the bowels to learn their “new normal.” You'll need to avoid heavy lifting for six to eight weeks to prevent a hernia.
In most cases, diverticulitis is not considered to be a life-threatening or life-limiting condition. However, symptoms of diverticulitis, such as abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhea, and lower-digestive-tract bleeding, can cause complications that can raise the risk of mortality.
Diverticulitis is an intestinal disease that can cause fatigue in some people. The fatigue may be caused by infection, inflammation, or sleep disruption due to pain. It could also be related to nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, dehydration, medication side effects, or surgery.
Pay attention to symptoms and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Stay away from nuts and seeds, and don't eat popcorn — that's what doctors said years ago if you had diverticulosis, a condition marked by tiny pouches (diverticula) that develop in the lining of the colon.