Diverticulitis what is the cause

Your GP can provide a more specific target, based on your individual height and weight. It's recommended that you gradually increase your fibre intake over the course of a few weeks. This will help prevent side effects associated with a high-fibre diet, such as bloating and flatulence wind.

Drinking plenty of fluids will also help prevent side effects. If you have established diverticular disease, it may be suggested that you avoid eating nuts, corn and seeds due to the possibility that they could block the diverticular openings and cause diverticulitis. People usually find out themselves if these foods cause symptoms. Probiotics have also been recommended, but evidence is lacking.

Overall, there is a lack of good quality scientific evidence on how to prevent diverticular disease. Good sources of fibre in fresh fruit plus the amount of fibre that is found in typical portions include:. Good sources of fibre in dried fruit plus the amount of fibre found in typical portions include:. Good sources of fibre in vegetables plus the amount of fibre found in typical portions include:. Good sources of fibre in breakfast cereals plus the amount of fibre found in typical portions include:.

Note — the "own-brand" equivalents of the cereals mentioned above should contain similar levels of fibre. Fibre supplements — usually in the form of sachets of powder you mix with water — are also available from pharmacists and health food shops. Some contain sweetener. A tablespoon of fibre supplement contains around 2. If you require long-term fibre supplements, your GP can prescribe them. Home Illnesses and conditions Stomach, liver and gastrointestinal tract Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.

Diverticular disease and diverticulitis See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About diverticular disease and diverticulitis 2. Symptoms of diverticular disease and diverticulitis 3. Causes of diverticular disease and diverticulitis 4. Diagnosing diverticular disease and diverticulitis 5. Treating diverticular disease and diverticulitis 6. Complications of diverticular disease and diverticulitis 7. Preventing diverticular disease and diverticulitis.

About diverticular disease and diverticulitis Diverticular disease and diverticulitis are related digestive conditions that affect the large intestine colon. Symptoms of diverticular disease include: lower abdominal pain feeling bloated The majority of people with diverticula will not have any symptoms; this is known as diverticulosis.

Symptoms of diverticulitis tend to be more serious and include: more severe abdominal pain, especially on the left side high temperature fever of 38C Diverticulosis, diverticular disease and diverticulitis Diverticula "Diverticula" is the medical term used to describe the small bulges that stick out of the side of the large intestine colon.

Diverticular disease 1 in 4 people who develop diverticula will experience symptoms, such as abdominal pain. Having symptoms associated with diverticula is known as diverticular disease. Diverticulitis Diverticulitis describes infection that occurs when bacteria becomes trapped inside one of the bulges, triggering more severe symptoms.

Diverticulitis can lead to complications, such as an abscess next to the intestine. Treating diverticular disease and diverticulitis A high-fibre diet can often ease symptoms of diverticular disease, and paracetamol can be used to relieve pain — other painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen are not recommended for regular use, as they can cause stomach upsets.

Who is affected Diverticular disease is one of the most common digestive conditions. Symptoms of diverticular disease and diverticulitis Symptoms of diverticular disease and diverticulitis include abdominal pain, bloating and a change in normal bowel habits. Diverticulosis If diverticula have been discovered during a camera test for another reason colonoscopy or during a CT scan, you may be worried about what this means. Diverticular disease The most common symptom of diverticular disease is intermittent stop-start pain in your lower abdomen stomach , usually in the lower left-hand side.

Other long-term symptoms of diverticular disease include: a change in your normal bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhoea , or episodes of constipation that are followed by diarrhoea — a classic pattern is multiple trips to the toilet in the morning to pass stools like "rabbit pellets" bloating Another possible symptom of diverticular disease is bleeding dark purple blood from your rectum back passage.

Diverticulitis Diverticulitis shares most of the symptoms of diverticular disease see above. Other symptoms of diverticulitis can include: a high temperature fever of 38C When to seek medical advice Contact your GP as soon as possible if you think you have symptoms of diverticulitis.

If you have not been diagnosed with the condition, contact your GP so they can rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as: a stomach ulcer pancreatitis cholecystitis bowel cancer Irritable bowel syndrome IBS can also cause similar symptoms to diverticular disease.

Causes of diverticular disease and diverticulitis Diverticular disease is caused by small bulges in the large intestine diverticula developing and becoming inflamed. Diverticular disease It is not known why only 1 in 4 people with diverticula go on to have symptoms of diverticulitis.

However, factors that appear to increase your risk of developing diverticular disease include: smoking being overweight or obese having a history of constipation use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs painkillers, such as ibuprofen or naproxen having a close relative with diverticular disease, especially if they developed it under the age of 50 Exactly how these lead to developing diverticular disease is unclear.

Diverticulitis Diverticulitis is caused by an infection of one or more of the diverticula. Diagnosing diverticular disease and diverticulitis Diverticular disease can be difficult to diagnose from the symptoms, alone because there are other conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS.

In some cases, you may be offered treatment for IBS and diverticular disease at the same time. Colonoscopy To make sure there is not a more serious cause of your symptoms, your GP may refer you for a colonoscopy, where a thin tube with a camera at the end a colonoscope is inserted into your rectum and guided into your colon. CT pneumocolon or colonography Another technique for confirming the presence of diverticula is a computerised tomography CT scan.

Diverticulitis If you have had a previous history of diverticular disease, your GP will usually be able to diagnose diverticulitis from your symptoms and a physical examination. Further tests will be needed if you have no previous history of diverticular disease. Treating diverticular disease and diverticulitis Treatment options for diverticular disease and diverticulitis depend on how severe your symptoms are. Diverticular disease Most cases of diverticular disease can be treated at home.

Signs that you may be experiencing heavy bleeding aside from the amount of blood include: feeling very dizzy mental confusion pale clammy skin shortness of breath If you suspect that you or someone in your care is experiencing heavy bleeding, seek immediate medical advice. Diverticulitis Treatment at home Mild diverticulitis can often be treated at home.

Treatment at hospital If you have more severe diverticulitis, you may need to go to hospital, particularly if: your pain cannot be controlled using paracetamol you are unable to drink enough fluids to keep yourself hydrated you are unable to take antibiotics by mouth your general state of health is poor you have a weakened immune system your GP suspects complications your symptoms fail to improve after two days of treatment at home If you are admitted to hospital for treatment, you are likely to receive injections of antibiotics and be kept hydrated and nourished using an intravenous drip a tube directly connected to your vein.

Surgery In the past, surgery was recommended as a preventative measure for people who had 2 episodes of diverticulitis as a precaution to prevent complications. However, there are exceptions to this, such as: if you have a history of serious complications arising from diverticulitis if you have symptoms of diverticular disease from a young age it is thought the longer you live with diverticular disease, the greater your chances of having a serious complication if you have a weakened immune system or are more vulnerable to infections If surgery is being considered, discuss both benefits and risks carefully with the doctor in charge of your care.

Colectomy Surgery for diverticulitis involves removing the affected section of your large intestine. There are 2 ways this operation can be performed: an open colectomy — where the surgeon makes a large incision cut in your abdomen stomach and removes a section of your large intestine laparoscopic colectomy — a type of "keyhole surgery" where the surgeon makes a number of small incisions in your abdomen and uses special instruments guided by a camera to remove a section of large intestine Open colectomies and laparoscopic colectomies are thought equally effective in treating diverticulitis, and have a similar risk of complications.

Stoma surgery 'having a bag' In some cases, the surgeon may decide your large intestine needs to heal before it can be reattached, or that too much of your large intestine has been removed to make reattachment possible. There are 2 ways this procedure can be carried out: An ileostomy — where a stoma is made in the right-hand side of your abdomen.

Your small intestine is separated from your large intestine and connected to the stoma, and the rest of the large intestine is sealed. You will need to wear a pouch connected to the stoma to collect waste material poo.

A colostomy — where a stoma is made in your lower abdomen and a section of your large intestine is removed and connected to the stoma. As with an ileostomy, you will need to wear a pouch to collect waste material. Results of surgery In general terms, elective non-emergency surgery is usually successful, although it does not achieve a complete cure in all cases.

Complications of diverticular disease and diverticulitis Complications of diverticulitis affect 1 in 5 people with the condition. Some complications associated with diverticulitis are discussed below. Urinary problems Diverticulitis can lead to the inflamed part of the bowel being in contact with the bladder. This may cause urinary problems, such as: pain when urinating dysuria needing to urinate more often than usual in rare cases, air in the urine Abscess The most common complication of diverticulitis is an abscess outside the large intestine colon.

Fistula A fistula is another common complication of diverticulitis. Peritonitis In rare cases, an infected diverticulum pouch in your colon can split, spreading the infection into the lining of your abdomen perforation. Intestinal obstruction If the infection has badly scarred your large intestine, it may become partially or totally blocked.

In some cases, the blocked part can be removed during surgery. Preventing diverticular disease and diverticulitis Eating a high-fibre diet may help prevent diverticular disease, and should improve your symptoms.

Sources of fibre Good sources of fibre include fruit vegetables nuts breakfast cereals — but check fibre content as some are very low starchy foods — such as brown bread, rice and pasta Once you have reached your fibre target, stick to it for the rest of your life, if possible.

More detailed information on sources of fibre is provided below. Fresh fruit Good sources of fibre in fresh fruit plus the amount of fibre that is found in typical portions include: avocado pear — a medium-sized avocado pear contains 4. Starchy foods Good sources of fibre in starchy food plus the amount found in typical portions include: crispbread — 4 crispbreads contain 4. Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window.

It's not known exactly why some people get diverticular disease, but it seems to be linked to age, diet and lifestyle, and genetics. As you get older, the walls of your large intestine become weaker and the pressure of hard stools passing through your intestines can cause diverticula to form. The majority of people will have some diverticula by the time they're 80 years old.

Not eating enough fibre is thought to be linked to developing diverticular disease and diverticulitis. Fibre helps to make your stools softer and larger so they put less pressure on the walls of your intestines. You're more likely to develop diverticula if you have a close relative with diverticular disease, especially if they developed it before they were Page last reviewed: 29 September Next review due: 29 September Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.

When there are no symptoms, it is called diverticulosis. Symptoms of diverticular disease and diverticulitis Symptoms of diverticular disease include: tummy pain, usually in your lower left side, that tends to come and go and gets worse during or shortly after eating pooing or farting eases it constipation , diarrhoea , or both occasionally, blood in your poo If your diverticula become infected and inflamed diverticulitis , you may suddenly: get constant, more severe tummy pain have a high temperature have diarrhoea or constipation get mucus or blood in your poo, or bleeding from your bottom rectal bleeding When to get medical advice Contact a GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of diverticular disease or diverticulitis.

Tests for diverticular disease and diverticulitis After taking your medical history and listening to your symptoms, the GP may first want to rule out other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , coeliac disease or bowel cancer.

These often have very similar symptoms to diverticular disease. Colonoscopy A colonoscopy is where a thin tube with a camera at the end a colonoscope is inserted into your bottom and guided up into your bowel. A colonoscopy should not be painful, but can feel uncomfortable. CT scan Sometimes you may need to have a CT scan. Treatment for diverticular disease and diverticulitis Treatments for diverticular disease Diet Eating a high-fibre diet may help ease the symptoms of diverticular disease and stop you developing diverticulitis.

Generally, adults should aim to eat 30g of fibre a day. Find out how to get more fibre in your diet Gradually increasing your fibre intake over a few weeks and drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent side effects associated with a high-fibre diet, such as bloating and farting.

Medicine Paracetamol can be used to relieve pain. Speak to a GP if paracetamol alone is not working. Treatments for diverticulitis Diet If you have diverticulitis, a GP may recommend that you stick to a fluid-only diet for a few days until your symptoms improve. Medicine Diverticulitis can usually be treated at home with antibiotics prescribed by a GP.

Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, as they can cause stomach upsets. More serious cases of diverticulitis may need hospital treatment. Surgery In rare cases, surgery may be needed to treat serious complications of diverticulitis. However, the topic is hotly debated. In parts of the world where dietary fiber intake is large, such as in Africa or South Asia, diverticula disease is fairly uncommon.

On the other hand, it is quite common in Western countries where dietary fiber intake is much lower. However, other reports have debunked the link between increased dietary fiber and diverticulitis prevention, advising that it may actually increase the likelihood of the disease.

Previously, the consumption of nuts, seeds, and corn was thought to be a cause of diverticula development, but a study in found no link. Sometimes, a doctor will recommend that someone with diverticulitis goes on a special diet, to give the digestive system an opportunity to rest. Gastrointestinal problems often come with a list of foods to avoid.

It has been suggested in the past that nuts, popcorn, and seeds can cause symptoms to flare up. However, as the causes of diverticulitis are not known, the National Institutes of Health advise that there are no particular foods to exclude from the diet that will improve diverticulitis symptoms.

The high-fat, low-fiber diet that characterizes Western eating has been shown to increase the risk of diverticulitis in a recent study. It is best, therefore, not to eat red meat, deep-fried foods, full-fat dairy, and refined grains. Food should be excluded based on individual experience. If you find that a particular type of food aggravates the effects of diverticulitis, avoid it. It is not fully understand why diverticulitis occurs. Bacteria in the stool may rapidly multiply and spread and cause the infection.

It is thought that a diverticulum might become blocked, possibly by a piece of stool, which then leads to infection. Some studies have indicated that genetics may be a factor. Diagnosing diverticular and diverticular-related diseases can be challenging, and there are a number of tests that might be carried out to ensure correct diagnosis.

There are several illnesses and conditions with similar symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , so diagnosis of diverticular disease is not easy. A doctor can rule out other conditions by having some blood tests done. They may also use the following techniques:.

Colonoscopy: The doctor has a look inside the colon using a thin tube with a camera at the end called a colonoscope. The colonoscope enters through the rectum.

Hours or a day before the procedure begins, people are given a laxative to clear their bowels. A local anesthetic is given before the procedure starts. This test is not usually done during an acute episode of diverticulitis, but done around 6 weeks after resolution to ensure there are no signs of cancer. Barium enema X-ray: A tube is inserted into the rectum, and a barium liquid is squirted into the tube and up the rectum. Barium is a liquid that shows up in X-rays.

When organs that do not normally show up on an X-ray are coated with barium, they become visible. The procedure is not painful. If an individual has a history of diverticular disease, the doctor will be able to diagnose diverticulitis by carrying out a physical examination and asking some questions about symptoms and their medical history.

A blood test is useful because if it reveals a high number of white blood cells, it probably means there is an infection. However, many people without a high number of white blood cells may still have diverticulitis. People who have no history of diverticular disease will need additional tests. Other conditions can have similar symptoms, such as a hernia or gallstones. A computer tomography CT scan may be used and is often the most helpful.

A barium enema X-ray may also be useful. If symptoms are severe, the CT scan may tell whether the infection has spread to another part of the body, or whether there is an abscess. Most people can self-treat their diverticular disease if it is mild, mainly with the help of painkillers and by consuming more dietary fiber. Painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen should be avoided as they increase the risk of internal bleeding, and may also upset the stomach.

Acetaminophen is recommended for pain relief from diverticular disease. Acetaminophen is available for purchase over the counter or online. Eating more dietary fiber, which includes fruits and vegetables, will help resolve the symptoms by softening stool and helping stool patterns become more regular.