What is diverticulitis?
Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots, like an inner tube that pokes through weak places in a tire. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. The condition of having several diverticulum is called diverticulosis. About 10 percent of Americans over the age of 40 have diverticulosis. The condition becomes more common as people age – nearly half of all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis. When the pouches become infected or inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis. This occurs in 10 percent to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are also called diverticular disease.
