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- By their 80s, most people have developed small pouches (diverticuli) in their large intestine (colon) that bulge outward through weak spots in the wall of the colon -- just like an inner tube of a tire that bulges out through a tear in the rubber.
- Diverticulosis is the condition of having diverticula. Most people with this condition never have any symptoms, but in some, when the pouches become irritated (inflamed) or infected, Diverticulitis
develops -- accompanied by fever, pain, and discomfort.
- Diverticula may also bleed and cause the patient's stool to be bloody. It is believed that a low-fiber diet (low in vegetables and fruits, and rich in processed foods which contain refined, low-fiber flour) causes Constipation and unnecessary pressure in the large intestine, weakening the colonic wall and pushing out these pouches. (Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains that the body cannot digest.)
- Diverticular disease is common in developed or industrialized countries (e.g., U.S.) and rare in countries where people eat high-fiber vegetable diets (e.g., Asia and Africa).
- See sections on Diverticulitis and Constipation for further reading and treatment.
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