Final answer:
Diverticulitis is the condition where tiny pouches in the large intestine, called diverticula, become infected and inflamed, often due to trapped food or fecal material. It is part of a broader category of conditions called inflammatory bowel diseases, which also includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Diverticulitis: Inflammation of the Large Intestine's Pouches
The condition that often becomes inflamed due to food or fecal material that becomes trapped, causing irritation and inflammation is called diverticulitis. This digestive disease is a progression from a less severe condition known as diverticulosis, where tiny pouches called diverticula form in the wall of the large intestine. When these pouches become infected and inflamed, it leads to diverticulitis, which presents with symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, fever, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, and possibly blood in the stool.
In the broader context of the gastrointestinal tract, when inflammation occurs in the stomach and intestines it is known as gastroenteritis, whereas inflammation only in the intestines is called enteritis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, represents a more complex spectrum of chronic inflammatory conditions of the intestines. IBD is characterized by the body's immune system attacking various parts of the GI tract, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss.