A relatively common disease,  diverticulosis, is a disease that very few people talk about, but that still can cause plenty of problems.  Diverticula are small sacks and pockets that form in the colon as a result of years on a low-fiber diet. Lack of fiber in the diet means that stools tend to be small and hard, instead of large and soft.

When the colon has to move these small, hard stools, the muscles have to contract harder, and over the years pockets can form in the walls of the colon. Pieces of stool can become trapped in these pockets, or diverticula, causing them to become inflamed or infected, and so a very-similarly-named condition, diverticulitis, results. Diverticulitis is a serious disease, and one-quarter of patients with diverticulitis will develop potentially life-threatening complications. Read more