Question 
I had a colonoscopy a year ago. The gastroenterologist removed two polyps, which were 100-percent cancer free. Praise the Lord! Anyway, he said I had diverticulosis. What is it? And what can be done for it?

Answer
In Gastroland, we commonly abbreviate the mouthful word diverticulosis to “tics.” But don't be scared; your gastroenterologist was not implying you have blood-sucking arthropods. He was saying you have outpouchings of the large intestine.

Diverticula are simply potholes in your colon. These divots have no symptoms unless they become plugged with poo. Since stool has bacteria in it, the plugged tic can become inflamed or infected. We call this condition diverticulitis. (Hint: The suffix “itis” implies inflammation, as in arthritis or bronchitis).

CAUSE AND PREVENTION
We really don’t know what causes colon potholes, but societies deficient in whole-grain foods have a higher rate of them. In fact, around half of Americans over 60 have diverticulosis, so you are far from alone.

The suggestion to prevent diverticulitis is to eat a diet high in fiber, and that includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Some gastros say to avoid certain seeds and nuts because the little granules left after chewing may block up your diverticula. I subscribe to the other school of thought: Nuts and seeds are part of a high-fiber diet, so just exclude the ones that cause you problems. (My personal diverticula don’t favor sunflower seeds, so I avoid them.)

SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include left lower abdominal discomfort, a low-grade fever and stools that become slender due to swelling of the colon’s interior. Should you develop these symptoms, prompt antibiotic therapy can shorten your illness and prevent development of a serious colon-wall abscess (a collection of puss that causes swelling and potentially a tiny hole in the colon).

Board-certified gastroenterologist PATRICIA L. RAYMOND,  M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.G., is a member of our print magazine's editorial board. She's practices at Simply Screening in Chesapeake, Va., is assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical school and wrote Colonoscopy: It’ll Crack U Up!.    

Last updated and/or approved: May 2008.
Original article appeared in September/October 2007 issue.

 

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