Diverticulosis and diverticulitis affect the colon?the lower part of the intestine. Both fall under the header of diverticular disease, which affects up to half of people between the ages of 60 and 80. Thanks to their similar sounding names, diverticulosis and diverticulitis are often confused. Diverticulosis is the formation of small pouches in the colon walls, which may be caused by straining during bowel movements due to constipation. Food can become trapped inside these pouches, leading to inflammation and infection, which is called diverticulitis. About 10 to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis develop diverticulitis.
People with diverticulitis often feel pain in the lower abdomen. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, or a fever. Your doctor will do tests such as a blood test to identify an infection, and a stool sample to look for bleeding in your digestive tract. An x-ray or CT scan can help your doctor visualize the pouches. You?ll get a liquid called barium first, so the doctor can see your intestines. Sometimes a colonoscopy is necessary. The doctor will insert a thin tube into the rectum to look for pouches in the intestine.
Diverticulitis can be treated with simple dietary changes, such as adding more fiber to the diet to produce softer and easier-to-pass stools. Fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, wheat bran are all high-fiber foods. Experts recommend getting at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily in your diet. If you don?t get enough fiber from diet alone, you can take a fiber supplement like Metamucil.
People who have an infection will need to take antibiotics to clear up the bacteria. Those with bleeding pouches, persistent symptoms, or other diverticulitis complications may need surgery to clean the abdomen or remove damaged parts of the colon.
When you think about gut health, you are thinking about the last part of your digestive system, called your colon. Both the foods you eat and the foods you avoid affect your gut health. Eating for a healthy colon can help you avoid gut problems like colon cancer, inflammatory bowel … Read More
An impacted bowel is one of the more unpleasant digestive issues you can experience. Bowel obstruction symptoms occur when a mass of dry, hard stool will not pass out of the colon or rectum. Bowel impaction can become a serious issue if not treated, and in extreme cases may even … Read More
To understand diverticulitis, you need to understand diverticulosis, so let’s start there. Diverticulosis is a very common bowel condition. It usually occurs in the last part of your colon, called your sigmoid colon. A pouch of the inner lining of your colon pushes inward through a weak area of the … Read More
Almonds are one of my favorite snacks, but they’ve gotten a bad rap as a high-fat food over the years. The truth is that you can forget their high fat and calorie content, the data on nuts are now indisputable. If you’re still asking, “Are nuts good for you?” you … Read More
No one who has ever suffered from diverticulitis is lucky, but some people are able to get through the intense attack of lower abdominal pain relatively unscathed. The unlucky diverticulitis patients have a different story, one that can include complications, hospitalization, surgery, or chronic disease that will have an ongoing … Read More
Rice is a grain commonly consumed all over the world. It’s the world’s third highest-produced grain crop, after corn and wheat and is consumed by millions. Two of most popular types of rice are long-grain brown and white. Both are delicious, versatile, and economical forms of nutrition. Plus, they’re gluten-free, … Read More
Once you’ve reached your senior years, there’s a better-than-average chance you have diverticulosis, the development of small pockets, or diverticula, in the muscular layers of the colon (large intestine). Sounds serious, right? Not always. In fact, most of the time these pockets are harmless. But, about four out of 100 … Read More
Intestinal infections tend to hit at the worst times. Five years ago, my husband, two children and I were cruising from one Croatian Island to the next when it happened—gut-wrenching cramps doubled me over while sweat dripped down every crevice. I had gone from feeling slightly nauseous to wanting to … Read More
The term prostatitis describes inflammation of the prostate gland. Unlike other prostatic conditions, prostatitis affects younger and older men alike. It is common, affecting up to 1 in 12 men in their lifetime and keeping urologists busy. If you have symptoms of prostatitis, your physician will want to determine the … Read More
Fruits provide slow-digesting carbs, various types of fiber, and a host of vitamins, including A, C, E, and K plus several B vitamins. Fruits also provide many important minerals, including calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and copper, along with a cornucopia of phytochemicals. Among plant foods, fruits are especially high in … Read More
