Defend yourself from diverticulitis
About half of Americans ages 60 to 80 have diverticulosis, a condition in which pea-sized pouches, called diverticula, bulge outward from the colon. After age 80, almost everyone has it. Most of the time the pouches don't cause any problems, but if the diverticula become inflamed or infected, the result is diverticulitis, which produces symptoms like fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen. It's unclear why this happens, but it's generally thought that the pouches become infected after stool or bacteria get caught in them. "As men age, they tend to have more difficulty with bowel movements, so they need to be more attentive to their digestive health," says Dr. Joel Goldberg, assistant professor of surgery. "Being mindful of your normal bowel patterns and how they vary can help you recognize when something is wrong, so you can seek medical attention." Doctor diagnosis Your doctor should confirm the presence of divert