Initially, doctors confused her pains with osteoporosis; some even attributed them to aging. All Alicia Montilla knew was that she had acute pain in her hip, sides and abdomen. Finally, a colonoscopy delivered the answer: she had diverticula in her colon.

“They prescribed a lot of medications and recommended to be careful with what I ate. I can’t eat anything that has seeds, chocolate, flour, fat or anything spicy,” said Montilla, a grandmother of Venezuelan descent whose problems began two years ago with an abdominal pain that took her breath away. “Here I am with my daughter reminding me to take my medications at the indicated hours. I have lost weight because I eat very healthy. My advice to those with abdominal pain is to go to the doctor at the first symptoms. I waited too long and became very inflamed.”

Diverticula are small sacs formed in the colon or the large intestine that develop into a condition known as diverticulosis, explained Dr. Charles Lago, director of Florida State Colon Cancer Committee of the American Cancer Society and deputy surgeon director at Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation. This ailment becomes more common with aging — about half of people over 60 suffer from it. Its main cause is believed to be a diet with low fiber content.

“The problem is that in most cases this condition does not present symptoms,” said Lago. “Sometimes it causes constipation or abdominal distension and light colics.”

It is called diverticulitis when sacs become inflamed or get infected.

“In those cases the most common symptom is abdominal pain, generally located in the left side,” he said. “When the diverticula get infected they can produce fever, nausea, vomiting, shivers, colics and constipation.”

This was Montilla’s case.

In the most serious cases, diverticulitis can cause a tear and obstruction and then surgery is required. This is why it is important to eliminate the infection with antibiotics and to rest the colon.

Besides diverticula, the colon may have polyps, which, being asymptomatic, require more care since they can develop into colon cancer. This is why experts in colorectal health recommend tests for early detection. Polyps are formed by the abnormal growth of tissue in the interior layer or lining of the large intestine or colon.

“A colonoscopy under sedation is generally performed,” said Lago. “When there are symptoms, these have the form of rectal bleeding, anemia, tiredness and sometimes abdominal pain.”

As a preventive measure, Lago recommends cutting consumption of red meat, increasing vegetables, fruits, cereals and fiber, and drinking six or more of glasses water a day. To avoid polyps, he recommends avoiding smoking and alcohol consumption, losing weight, and getting fit, since “polyps and colon cancer go hand in hand.”