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Treating and preventing diverticulitis

It can cause an awful lot of pain, which all starts with weaknesses in the lining of the colon.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - We've been talking about how March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month on the Real Men Wear Gowns Campaign. While cancer is a major concern for the colon, there's also another condition called diverticulitis that can present issues.

It can cause an awful lot of pain, which all starts with weaknesses in the lining of the colon.

“When you have these weaknesses and you have hard stool meeting up with those weaknesses you can get an out-pocketing,” says Dr. George Logan, a gastroenterologist at HealthPartners.

Dr. Logan says about 80% of Americans after the age of 50 develop out pockets, but only about 3-5% of those people will develop what's known as diverticulitis, which is an inflammation of those out pockets.

“Our theory is a very small hole develops in that pocket and some of that stool leaks out and the body seals it over, but in the process of sealing that hole over, it creates an area of inflammation,” Dr. Logan says.

Dr. Logan says people will often feel pain in the lower left part of their abdomen and may experience a fever.

“Traditionally we treat with antibiotics, some bowel rest with a low residue diet and then once the patient has made a full recovery, then we want them to get on a high fiber diet,” Dr. Logan says.

Dr. Logan says diverticulitis can be genetic and the best way to prevent it is to maintain that high fiber diet.

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