Diverticulitis

When small bulges or pockets form in the lining of the colon, they are called diverticula (why this happens in some people, nobody really knows). When diverticula are accompanied by symptoms such as intermittent lower abdominal pain and bloating – which happens in 25 percent of people with diverticula (ii) – the condition is called diverticular disease.

Diverticula can also become inflamed and infected when bacteria become trapped inside them. This causes more severe symptoms such as constant cramping pain that usually starts below your belly button and most commonly moves to the lower left-hand side of your abdomen, a high temperature, chills, nausea and diarrhoea. When this happens, the condition is known as diverticulitis.

Note: Fiber supplements can cause gas and bloating when you first begin taking them.