What is diverticular disease?
In the colon, some people have small pouches that bulge outward through weak spots. These pouches become more frequent with increasing age. Diverticulitis results from inflammation or infection in the pouches, known as diverticula. • A single pouch is called a diverticulum. • Two or more pouches are called diverticula. • Having diverticula is a condition called diverticulosis. • Having infected or inflamed diverticula is a condition called diverticulitis. • The conditions of diverticulosis or diverticulitis are referred to as diverticular disease. Diverticulitis occurs in 10 to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis. Approximately half of all Americans ages 60 to 80, and almost everyone over age 80, have diverticulosis at some time. The disease is common in developed or industrialized countries – particularly the United States, England, and Australia – where low-fiber diets are common. It is rare in countries such as Asia and Africa, where people eat high-fiber, vegetable diets.
