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Diverticular disease

Diverticulosis et diverticulitis coli · Divertikulární nemoc

What it is

Small pouches bulge through the colon wall and occasionally inflame.

Symptoms & signs

  • Left lower abdominal pain
  • fever in diverticulitis
  • bloating
  • change in bowel habit
  • bleeding

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Sudden severe belly pain with a hard belly
  • call 112 / 911 now Heavy bleeding from the back passage or fainting
  • see a doctor soon Left lower belly pain with fever
  • see a doctor soon Air or stool in the urine

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • High-fibre diet
  • antibiotics for complicated diverticulitis (many uncomplicated cases need none)
  • drainage of abscess
  • resection for recurrence

Natural & lifestyle

  • 25–30 g fibre a day
  • hydration
  • exercise
  • nuts and seeds are safe (old advice was wrong)

Emerging & experimental

  • Mesalazine and rifaximin trials
  • laparoscopic lavage

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Avoiding nuts, seeds and popcorn — once standard advice; large studies found no benefit not confirmed in trials
  • Probiotics — trials disagree mixed evidence
  • Slippery elm and aloe — traditional; untested anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes