Kendall Harrison - Dealing with Diverticulitis: Simple Home Remedies to Heal Diverticulitis, Live Pain-Free and Restore Intestinal Health

Dealing with Diverticulitis

Simple Home Remedies to Heal Diverticulitis, Live Pain-Free and Restore Intestinal Health

Kendall Harrison

Dealing with Diverticulitis

Simple Home Remedies to Heal Diverticulitis, Live Pain-Free and Restore Intestinal Health

Copyright 2019, Kendall Harrison

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

DISCLAIMER

This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his or her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Approximately 10% of Americans aged over 40 have diverticulosis. As people advance in age, the condition becomes more prevalent. Roughly half of the people over 60 have diverticulosis. When the sacks become swollen or infected, the condition is known as diverticulitis. This occurs in 10-25% of diverticulosis patients. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are also known as diverticular disease. There is no discomfort or symptom in most individuals with diverticulosis.

That being said, symptoms may include slight cramps, constipation and bloating. Other diseases like stomach ulcers and irritable bowel disease (IBS) generate similar complications, so these symptoms don't always imply an individual has diverticulosis. If you have these disturbing symptoms, you should pay a visit to your doctor.

Abdominal pain is the most prevalent symptom of diverticulitis. The most frequent sign is pain around the left corner of the lower abdomen. The intensity of the symptom is influenced by the magnitude of the infection and visible complications. The dominant assumption, though not confirmed, is that the primary contributor to diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet. The condition was first recorded in the early 1900s in the United States. Around the same time, refined foods were integrated into Western diet. Most refined foods contain processed low-fiber flour. Compared to whole-wheat flour, there is no wheat bran in processed flour.

Diverticular disease is prevalent in advanced or industrialized countries, chiefly the U.S., England, and Australia, where low-fiber diets are the usual norm. In Asian and African countries, where people consume high-fiber vegetable diets, the disease is uncommon.

Fiber is the part of grains, fruits, and vegetables that the body can't digest. Fiber is of two types: soluble and insoluble.

A significant thing to note is the distinctness between soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves quickly in water and during the digestive process forms a smooth, jelly-like consistency in the intestines. The gel helps delay digestion so that essential nutrients can be more absorbed. On the other side, insoluble fiber passes through the intestines almost untouched thereby enabling foods to leave your system faster. Both types of fiber make the stools soft and smooth to move. Fiber also keeps constipation at bay.

Constipation makes it too difficult for the muscles to move the stool. It's the primary cause of increased tension in the colon. This increased tension could trigger the colon's weak spots to swell and become diverticula. When diverticula become infected or swollen, diverticulitis arises. Doctors aren't sure what triggers the infection. It may start when stool or bacteria are trapped in the diverticula.

A diverticulitis attack may arise unexpectedly without notice. With the availability of cheap processed foods in the standard Western diet and the unbelievably low consumption of healthy fibrous foods, it is no wonder that the proportion of people developing diverticulitis continues to increase.

What is diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is a disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Diverticula are tiny bags or sacks that can develop on your digestive tract's lining. These small, hollow-shaped protruding sacks along the digestive tract accelerate in number with age affecting 70% of people before they approach the age of 80. These sacks usually form when there are weak areas in the outer coating of the large intestine, which place excess tension on the intestine's inner lining. They are mainly concentrated along the colon. Inflammation of one diverticulum or more can be caused by a solid mass of feces creating an overgrowth of bacteria and causing an infection called diverticulitis.

Different factors contribute to diverticula and infection. One of the major factors thought to have an impact on the occurrence rates is diet. Today, in a culture influenced by refined foods, sugar, alcohol, and trans-fats, our bodies are saddled with managing bad eating habits. Our active lifestyle has made us abandon the healthy lifestyle decisions we should be adopting.

As a result, we deprive ourselves enough time to work out, deficiency of antioxidants and fiber-rich plant-based foods in our diet, and momentarily disguise the pain and stress we experience with anti-inflammatory drugs, laxatives, sedatives, and bad smoking practices. As a result of these reasons, diverticulitis is known as a "modern man's disease."

Combining these unhealthy lifestyle practices lead to swelling of the diverticula sacs. As fecal matter solidifies and bacteria build-up, these sacs expand and increase pressure on the wall of the intestine, resulting in symptoms getting worse. Unusual gut flora is also connected with damaged mucus membranes throughout the length of the intestines.

Symptoms of Diverticulitis

Majority of people have no symptoms. Diverticula rarely cause problems and when they do, they cause intense abdominal discomfort and pain. Many individuals confuse appendicitis for diverticulitis, but diverticulitis usually appears with pain on the left side of the intestine. Appendicitis is distinguished by pain on the lower right side of the belly, and it could be a medical emergency. Symptoms of diverticulitis may include:

1. Fever
2. Shivers
3. Diarrhea
4. Farting
5. Bloating
6. Cramping
7. Constipation
8. Nausea and vomiting
9. Adjustment in bowel habits
10. Bowel pain, usually on the left side
11. Red-colored or bloody stool
12. Bleeding from the rectum
13. Softness in the lower abdomen

Although most individuals with diverticulitis have no symptoms, 10-25% of those suffering from it will present symptoms ranging from frequent short-lived pain to considerable fever-related abdominal discomfort and elevated leukocytes (white cell cells) needing hospitalization.

This can lead to infection and inflammation when the sacks along the colon become filled with fecal matter, enabling bacteria to thrive.

Other risk factors that trigger diverticulitis include:

1. A diet high in fat, red meat and low in fiber (less than 30g daily).
2. Food sensitivities and intolerances.
3. Some drugs, which includes the use of NSAIDs (Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs)
4. Lack of physical activity, e.g. exercise or sedentary living
5. Obesity
6. Smoking

Gastrointestinal troubles do come with a collection of foods to avoid. Some doctors suggest removing corn, nuts, and seeds that are believed by some to fill diverticular holes and trigger diverticulitis, but little proof is available to justify this suggestion. However, foods that are often suggested for avoidance include:

1. Popcorn
2. Poppy seeds