Diverticulitis
(Diverticulosis)

Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What is diverticulitis?
• What is diverticulosis?
• How do diverticula form?
• What are the symptoms of diverticulitis?
• How is the diagnosis of diverticulitis made?
• What is the treatment for diverticulitis?
• Medical treatment for diverticulitis
• Surgery for diverticulitis
• What can be done to prevent diverticulitis?
• Diverticulitis At A Glance

Diverticulitis Symptoms & Abdominal Pain - I Waited Too Long I am not a doctor and the information that follows is not intended as medical advice. It is written to give you an idea of how I survived my colostomy surgery and some of the things I found helpful along the way. Sincerely, Craig I had been experiencing acute pain for several days prior to entering the hospital, but I ignored the pain until it had become so severe that I was rolled up in bed with severe abdominal cramps and couldn't move. This was my biggest mistake. I should have seen a doctor several days earlier and possibly my fate would have been different, and I would not have had a colostomy. When I entered the hospital, I was diagnosed with an acute case of perforated diverticulitis and peritonitis. I thought, how did this happen? I later found out that diverticulitis symptoms include: abdominal cramping, pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. In my case, the diverticulum became so infected with bacteria, it ruptured freely into the abdominal cavity causing diverticulitis and life-threatening peritonitis. I am writing this in hopes that my experiences will help someone else get through similar experiences of diverticulitis, diverticulitis treatment, colostomy surgery, colostomy care, and answer colostomy questions. Who better to tell you what to expect than someone who has been through this themselves! Read More about Craig's colostomy »

What is diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is a condition in which diverticuli in the colon rupture. The rupture results in infection in the tissues that surround the colon.

What is diverticulosis?

The colon (large intestine) is a long tube-like structure that stores and then eliminates waste material. Pressure within the colon causes bulging pockets of tissue (sacs) that push out from the colonic walls as a person ages. A small bulging sac pushing outward from the colon wall is called a diverticulum. More than one bulging sac is referred to as diverticula. Diverticula can occur throughout the colon but are most common near the end of the left colon called the sigmoid colon. The condition of having these diverticula in the colon is called diverticulosis.

A patient with diverticulosis may have few or no symptoms. When a diverticulum ruptures and becomes infected, the condition is called diverticulitis. A patient suffering from diverticulitis will have abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, and fever. When bleeding originates from a diverticulum, it is called diverticular bleeding. A patient who suffers the consequences of diverticulosis in the colon is referred to as having diverticular disease.

Diverticular disease is common in the Western world but is extremely rare in areas such as Asia and Africa. Diverticular disease increases with age. It is uncommon before the age of forty, and is seen in more than fifty percent of people over the age of sixty in the United States. Whereas most patients with diverticular disease have no or few symptoms, some patients will develop bleeding, rupture and infection (diverticulitis), constipation, abdominal cramps, and even colonic obstruction.

Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) - Symptoms at Onset of Disease

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

The symptoms of diverticulitis (diverticulosis) can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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