Diverticulitis: A New Health Problem

Do you suffer from frequent pains in your abdomen? Then you might have diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection of the intestinal walls caused by a condition called diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is a health condition where the intestinal walls display small pockets of weakness. It is not yet clear what really causes diverticulitis, although many doctors believe that it could be caused by stool lodged in one or more of the small pockets, or diverticuli.

The Symptoms of Diverticulitis

Although people can have varying amounts of diverticuli in their intestines, most of them show no external symptoms. Most people only know about their condition when they undergo colonoscopy.

Infection and bleeding are the two major symptoms of diverticulitis. If you have fever, constipation and abdominal pain, you need to consult your physician and ask him or her if you have diverticulitis. Other symptoms are vomiting, nausea and chills.

Diverticulitis is a common ailment that afflicts most people aged 60 and above, so the older you are, the more you are likely to have diverticulosis. Consulting your doctor is the first step to detecting the presence of diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

The Correct Diet for Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis rarely causes serious complications but it should not be ignored. Your doctor can prescribe the right treatment for diverticulitis which is mostly based on antibiotic medication. You also need to go on a soft diet, which involves eating soft, easy-to-chew foods like mashed potatoes, bananas, porridge or soup.

With the right medication and diet, diverticulitis usually goes away after a week. When the infection has cleared up, you should eat fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Examples of foods rich in dietary fiber are brown rice, apples, cabbage, kidney beans, whole wheat bread and oatmeal.

It is advisable to consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber every day. You can include a dietary fiber supplement like Metamucil to your high fiber diet. A typical fiber supplement provides 4-6 grams of fiber per serving.

You should also drink as much water and fluids as possible. Water, along with fiber, is vital in keeping your digestive system in good condition and to keep them functioning normally.

You need to maintain a high fiber diet to prevent constipation. Constipation results in hard stools which might promote the appearance or enlargement of diverticuli, causing another case of diverticulitis. It is also important to maintain regular bowel movements to prevent straining.

Nuts and Seeds: Do They Cause Diverticulitis?

There has been a lot of debate regarding the exact cause of diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Many doctors believe that nuts and seeds can get caught in the diverticula and cause diverticulitis. But there has been no scientific evidence to prove that nuts and seeds really cause diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis may be caused by hard stool lodged in the diverticula, or it could be caused by bacteria. There’s no direct evidence to link nuts and seeds to diverticulitis, so eating these kinds of food should not be a cause for concern.

A high fiber diet is the only proven treatment for diverticulitis. Fiber can be taken from foods such as nuts and seeds, as well as grains, fruits and certain vegetables such as cabbage. Nuts are rich in fat but these are unsaturated fats or the so-called “good fats.” In fact, many studies have discovered the beneficial effects of nuts in preventing heart disease.

Diverticulitis can be prevented by eating the right foods, especially those rich in fiber. Make it a point to eat fiber-rich foods, drink a lot of fluids and take regular bowel movements. Diverticulitis can be fatal if left unattended, so the correct diet for diverticulitis can help you avoid such health problems.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 at 2:28 pm and is filed under Diet Plans at a Glance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.