Diverticular Disease

Diverticular disease is relatively common, but it can be beneficial to get treatment from a colorectal expert to help manage your symptoms. At ACE Clinic, we can help you take steps to achieve relief and live a healthy and active lifestyle.

What is Diverticular Disease?

Diverticula is the name for an outpouching of the wall of the colon.

• Diverticulosis: This form of diverticular disease comes with no complications or symptoms. It merely means the presence of diverticula in the colon wall.
• Diverticulitis: This form of diverticular disease happens when diverticula become inflamed or infected. It can cause noticeable, severe symptoms and complications like abscess formation, bleeding, colonic stricture, or fistula formation.

Diverticulosis is very common, with rates increasing drastically as you age.

What are the Symptoms of Diverticular Disease?

Diverticulosis causes no symptoms and doesn’t usually require intervention. However, diverticulitis can cause noticeable and severe symptoms like abdominal cramping, bloating and fever. It’s important to work with a colorectal surgeon because symptoms of diverticulitis are similar to many other gastrointestinal conditions.

What Causes Diverticular Disease?

It’s thought that diverticular disease is caused by high pressure in the colon, which causes the walls to bulge outward. High pressure or strain on the colon can be caused by not eating enough fiber. It’s not well understood what causes diverticulitis, or infected diverticula.

Certain risk factors can make it more likely that you develop diverticular disease. These include age, eating a low-fiber diet or a lot of fat and red meat.

Diverticular Disease FAQs

What Are My Treatment Options for Diverticular Disease?

Diverticulosis typically doesn’t need treatment. Diverticulitis is usually associated with symptoms and diagnosed through a process that might include a colonoscopy or CT scan. For mild diverticulitis, your colorectal expert may treat it with a course of antibiotics.

In more severe diverticulitis, your colorectal expert may recommend surgery. This is typically performed in cases of abscess formation, perforation, fistula, colonic stricture, or recurrent disease.

Diverticular Disease Outlook and Steps to Take

Surgery is very effective in treating chronic or complicated diverticulitis. Working with a colorectal surgeon and living a healthy lifestyle always helps patients recover well after surgery.

Schedule an Appointment

Diverticular disease is very treatable with the help of an experienced colorectal expert. To meet with our team and learn more, we invite you to contact our office by calling or filling out our online contact form.