# Diverticulosis



## Reegan (Apr 4, 2003)

Hello,I forgot to mention that my mother has Diverticulosis, is the hereditary? My doctor said that I am too young to have this, I am 27 yrs. My Japanese doctor said I am not to young but would be in a lot of pain and have bloody stools. It is so frustrating when doctors have different opinions, but they are human I guess. We always think they know everything, I wish.


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## isitIBS (Dec 13, 2002)

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents here. I think there is a difference between diverticulitis symptoms and diverticulosis symptoms.Most people have in their colons small pouches that bulge outward through weak spots, like an inner tube that pokes through weak places in a tire. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. Pouches are diverticula. The condition of having diverticula is called diverticulosis. About half of all Americans age 60 to 80, and almost everyone over age 80, have diverticulosis.When the pouches become infected or inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis. This happens in 10 to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are also called diverticular disease.Most people with diverticulosis do not have any discomfort or symptoms. However, symptoms may include mild cramps, bloating, and constipation. Other diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stomach ulcers cause similar problems, so these symptoms do not always mean a person has diverticulosis.The most common symptom of diverticulitis is abdominal pain. The most common sign is tenderness around the left side of the lower abdomen. If infection is the cause, fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, cramping, and constipation may occur as well. The severity of symptoms depends on the extent of the infection and complications.So you see you can have the condition but NOT the infection. The recommended treatment for this is INCREASED Fiber. Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet may reduce symptoms of diverticulosis and prevent complications such as diverticulitis. Fiber keeps stool soft and lowers pressure inside the colon so that bowel contents can move through easily.Hope this helps you.A


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