On the Beat 2/19/20 - Gastroenterology Associates of Columbus on Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis

Dr. Richard Herd and Dr. Ricky Johnston of Gastroenterology Associates of Columbus describe the symptoms and treatment for diverticulitis and how it is different from diverticulosis.

Troy: welcome to on the beat, everyone.

I'm troy thompson in the studio with me today is dr. richard herd and, of course, dr. ricky johnson of gastroenterology associates of columbus.

And today we're talking all about diverticulosis.

Welcome to the show, my friends.

Dr. johnston: thank you sir.

Troy: okay, i don't know what this is about.

What's diverticulosis?

Dr. johnston: diverticulosis is a condition that affects the large intestine or the colon where you get little pockets that stick out where there's a weak spot in the colon wall.

Troy: how do i know i have it?

Dr. heard: you don't unless they cause problems or if you have a colonoscopy where we see it.

Where we run into this kind of confusion all the time is we do colonoscopy and we see diverticulosis and we tell this to the patient afterwards and they go, "i've got diverticulitis."

And we go, "no, you've got diverticulosis," and so there's this- troy: it's the female version.

Dr. heard: well, no.

There's this confusion about what's the difference.

Troy: well , is there a pain?

I'm trying to work out how do i know i have it if i'm not going to get a colonoscopy.

Dr. johnston: it's an important distinction because diverticulosis, it's an important distinction because diverticulosis, which 50% of the population has probably over age 50 or so, does not generally cause any problems. you would have it and not know it.

But diverticulitis is actually when you do develop pain, perhaps a change in bowel habits, maybe some bloating symptoms. and that's something that we would treat actually with antibiotics and eventually if it became severe enough, it could even require surgery to fix.

So it's important to us to make the distinction between diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

Troy: let's jump back to diverticulosis.

What is it causing?

What harm is it causing to our body?

Dr. heard: none.

Troy: none?

Dr. heard: not as long as it is diverticulosis, you can live with it your entire life and never have any problems. troy: all right.

Diverticulitis, what is that causing?

Dr. johnston: that's when these little pockets that are kind of poking out from the colon become infected or inflamed and in addition to causing pain, eventually those could rupture and create a terrible infection inside the body and it can be very severe.

Troy: but both of them are only sought after once you've done a colonoscopy, that you know you have these symptoms?

Dr. heard: you'll know you have, if you have diverticulitis you will be coming to us saying, "i'm hurting."

Troy: i'm in pain.

Dr. johnston: or you'll be in the emergency room.

Dr. heard: right, right, right.

So you don't have to sit around and wonder whether or not you have diverticulosis or diverticulitis.

But if you get your colonoscopy and you have diverticulosis, don't worry about that until you have pain and then we'll treat that.

Troy: if i have diverticulosis, is there a special data should be eating?

Dr. johnston: not generally.

Troy: or avoiding?

Dr. johnston: historically people were told to avoid seeds and nuts and corn, all these things that theoretically people thought could clog one of these pockets up and cause it to rupture.

In reality though, that's really not the case.

So we've started avoiding telling people these blanket wholesale changes in their diets.

So we tell people generally a high fiber diet is what we recommend.

That may not cause it to regress, but it may prevent it from worsening.

Troy: i'm glad you just brought up the high fiber diet.

Now a lot of people, and that's a generalized statement, don't eat enough fiber.

Dr. heard: very true.

Troy: where do you stand on those drinks that you can have in the morning and fiberx and all those additives that you can put in a glass of water?

Dr. heard: it's a good source of fiber if you need fiber supplementation.

Troy: okay.

Dr. heard: we use that.

I suggest that a lot to patients who are having different problems like constipation