Overview
The colon, also known as the large intestine or big bowel, is a 6 foot long tube-like organ that houses and subsequently removes waste products that are left behind after food is digested in the small intestine. It is thought that as a person matures, pressure within the colon contributes to tissue sacs that protrude from the colonic walls. A diverticulum is a little sac with a protruding bulge that develops from the colon wall.Diverticula, or several bulging sacs, is the plural form of the word. Diverticula can be found everywhere in the colon, but in Western cultures they are most frequent in the left colon's sigmoid colon. Diverticula are most common on the right side of the colon in Asia.
Diverticula are frequent in the West but uncommon in places like Asia and Africa. Diverticula get bigger as you age. Before the age of 40, they are not prevalent, but more than 74% of Americans over the age of 80 have them. Diverticulosis patients typically have few or no symptoms. Abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea are the three most typical symptoms of diverticulosis. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or anomalies in the sigmoid colon muscles' ability to perform their normal functions may be present along with diverticular illness in the majority of patients; uncomplicated diverticula should not result in symptoms. Diverticular bleeding is the term used to describe bleeding that occasionally comes from a diverticulum.