Although this condition can be treated at home, with doctor's instructions, untreated it could become quite serious, requiring surgery. These pouches, or diverticulae, occur with increasing frequency in individuals after the age of forty and are present in almost half of individuals over the age of fifty. Diverticulae are not serious in themselves and may not present symptoms other than a slight tenderness or occasional mild abdominal cramp or gas. The elderly are especially prone to this condition as well as anyone who has suffered an attack previously.
Recurrence is frequent.
The major cause of diverticulosis is a low fiber diet along with a diet consisting of too many processed foods. Contributing factors can be diets too high in red meats or high-fat foods. When a diet contains adequate fiber, stools pass easily through the intestines because they are large and soft. A diet lacking in fiber tends to produce small, hard stools which can strain the colon and produce the diverticulae along the muscular wall of the intestines. Heredity, obesity, history of gallbladder disease may also be factors in this condition.