Diverticular disease

People are increasingly suffering from diverticulum diseases. The bag-shaped protuberances of the intestinal wall in most cases do not cause discomfort - if they do, sufferers should seek immediate medical attention. A high-fiber diet prevents the formation of diverticula as well as more severe consequences of this disease. The number of Diverticular diseases has steadily increased in western industrialized countries over the past decades. For 40- to 60-year-olds a frequency of 7 to 12 percent are assumed, among the over-60s, 40 to 50 percent were affected. This makes diverticulosis one of the most common colonic diseases.

Definition: What are diverticula?

Diverticulum in the Latin byway means deviation. Diverticula are small, bag-shaped protuberances. They can occur in different organs. If no details are given, it generally means protuberances of the colon wall.

If these protuberances do not isolated but occur in large numbers, it is called diverticulosis. If the diverticula are inflamed, it is diverticulitis.

Causes: How does this diverticula arise?

The exact cause of the protuberances could not be clarified so far. However, it is assumed that the comparatively low-fiber diet plays an important role in the Western world. For example, vegetarians eat far more fiber than "meat-eaters" - and are much less likely to be affected by diverticulosis.

Symptoms: What kind of symptoms can occur?

Not every diverticulosis causes complaints automatically - 80 percent of sufferers have no symptoms. Often the protuberances are discovered by chance during a colonoscopy. Only 20 percent of people suffer from health problems, such as flatulence, abdominal pain, especially in the lower left abdomen or constipation alternating with diarrhea.

Serious complications are rare but are immediately associated with medical treatment, such as blood in the stool.

When the diverticula becomes inflamed, diverticulitis occurs. The symptoms are similar to appendicitis:

Spasmodic pain

Anorexia

Nausea

Vomit

Usually also fever

Diverticulum in the esophagus

Protuberances of the mucous membrane can appear elsewhere in the body - most commonly diverticulum of the esophagus. Because this has bottlenecks in three places:

The first is strictly speaking before the actual beginning of the esophagus: where the gullet and the esophagus emerge. Here, the musculature surrounding the mucous membrane is relatively thin, so that a diverticulum quickly emerges. This diverticulum is called Zenker's diverticulum. Typical complaints are leftovers that find themselves undigested in the mouth again in the morning, sometimes a tight throat.

More diverticula are often found at the area where the two main bronchi exit from the trachea.

Also, just before the end of the esophagus, where it leaves the thoracic cavity and passes through the diaphragm, diverticula can arise.

All diverticula can be removed in severe laparoscopic surgery.

The right diet for diverticula

Existing diverticula no longer self-evolve. A high-fiber diet, however, complicates as well as the formation of other diverticula in the intestine and is therefore recommended for prevention and symptom-free sufferers.

For the daily diet this means:

Whole grains and vegetables and fruits should be abundant on the menu

animal products such as meat, sausage or eggs

So that the intestine can slowly get used to such a diet, the conversion should be gradual and slow.

In addition, very important health: drink plenty of water, so that the fiber is enough liquid available. By daily intake of wheat bran, the fiber content of the diet can be further increased.

Surgery and other types of treatment

In the case of diverticulitis, your doctor will take treatment measures to reduce inflammation and thus avoid surgery (OP). This includes that affected persons have to abstain from solid food until the inflammation subsides, they are usually fed infusions during hospitalization and receive antibiotics.

If the intestinal tract has to be removed because it is repeatedly inflamed, this can usually be done in a laparoscopic operation - only a severe inflammation and complications such as intestinal perforation sometimes require an immediate open emergency operation.