Will I get Diverticular?

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I do not want this condition, but it seems to be common in my family. It's a weakness of the bowel and causes uncontrollable bowel movements. An elderly relative of mine has it, and this may be a bit TMI but she literally cannot hold gas in, and it comes out really loud and stinky in public. Also she has attacks of diarrhea and sometimes that is hard to control and she has to wear an incontinence pad.

I don't want me to get to that. My aunt has the condition and also my mother has just been diagnosed with it too, and if it's a hereditary thing then I don't stand a chance. The elderly relative has it worse, but if I were in her position I wouldn't ever leave the house. I don't care if farting is a natural bodily function and that everybody does it, I still do not want to lose control and do it in public like that, it's highly embarrassing and undignifying. I've always been private about that sort of thing and I've never liked passing gas in front of anyone.

I hate this condition. It's worse than Asperger's, or my Asperger's is probably the reason why I'm worrying about this too much.

Well, there's diverticulosis and diverticulitis. The first is little pouches in the bowel and is common in people over the age of 40 and there are no symptoms; the second is when those pouches leak and cause inflammation and infection. The second is the more serious and I suspect that's what runs in your family.

So the problem is doctors aren't entirely sure what causes diverticulosis, but suggestions to try to avoid getting it are to not smoke, keep your weight in a normal range, and maintain a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

The good thing is that diverticulitis can be treated. If it's uncomplicated, (like there's no infection), you can just let it rest and heal on its own. If it's a bad one, you can just have it removed but that does mean surgery.

Point is though to try to not let it get to that point. So try to stay healthy, if you smoke quit, get some exercise every day, drink plenty of water, and maintain a good diet with plenty of fiber from fruit and veggies.

Worrying about it won't prevent it from happening

Strangers on the internet are not psychic and cannot tell you what medical diagnosis you will get in the future

Uncontrollable bowel movements aren't necessarily a symptom of diverticular disease. Maybe some people experience that, though, but IIRC it wasn't even listed as a symptom. I just read a pamphlet about it last week as my father was recently diagnosed (he's almost 65). After reading about it and it's suspected causes, it makes me wonder if I have had it (to some extent) since birth due to a unique birth defect I was told I had. Anyways, the older people get the more common it is. Apparently there's a 50% chance of anyone over 75 years old having it. So, 1/2 of North Americans will end up with it by age 75.

Probably the best way to avoid it is to eat a high fibre diet and drink plenty of water - which is pretty much what the treatment of it is, too.

Also, very smelly gas isn’t a listed symptom, either. That’s going to depend partially on the severity of the disease and largely on diet. With a healthy diet and enough fibre and water to keep regular, crap won’t get stuck in the abnormal intestinal “pockets,” and thus won’t smell.

Diet is HUGE. If I eat super clean, my #2 hardly smells. As a friend said, if you eat Very healthily your poo should smell kinda like hay/barnyard animal poo. I Know if I eat a bunch of junkfood both my crap and sweat stinks.

If your relative has awful smelling gas they’re likely eating garbage and not enough fibre & water.

I just thought symptoms of Diverticular meant uncontrollable and stinky gas because once I asked my mum why our elderly relative cannot control her gas and my mum replied, "because she's got diverticulosis." So I always thought it was down to that. I'm not sure she eats junk food, as she usually avoids certain sugars and sticks to healthier food. She doesn't enjoy having stinky and uncontrollable gas, and she has regular check-up with the doctor so I'm sure if there was a way to help her gas she would do it. She uncontrollably passes gas when she stands up, and literally sometimes a fart can last 15 seconds, no kidding.
I think I'd rather have Asperger's than have uncontrollable gas like that, and that is saying something.

Maybe it causes those things for her, but it doesn’t necessarily for everyone who has it. So even if you do eventually get it, as half of people do, it doesn’t mean you will have those symptoms for sure.

Only medical doctor can diagnosis diseases

Only psychics know what is going to happen in the future


Sometimes doctor and psychic make factually incorrect statement

Your thinking is far too rigidly black & white. Anyone can diagnose a disease. Only a medical doctor can make an official diagnosis and record it in your medical history chart. But anyone can already know their own diagnosis or have a friend, family member, or perfect stranger diagnose something accurately.

That's what I posted for. I'm not asking for a future diagnosis, I just wanted to express my mind here and just see what advice or answers people have. I just wondered if anyone here has experienced Diverticular or have a relative/friend with it, etc. That is what the Haven is for, to express your woes, and other negative thoughts.

Yeah, that's fine. Your post seems defensive & I wasn't even addressing you with my post - I was responding to shortfatbalduglyman's post.

As for your health concerns.. it's very simple: Just eat plenty of fibre & drink plenty of water. These are the best ways to both prevent diverticular disease as well as treat it if and when it occurs - which it will for half of people, eventually.