From time to time, your intestinal wall can break or bend, leading to a slight bulge or pouch in the abdominal area. By itself, this isn’t a big deal.
But if left unchecked, these “diverticula” can eventually develop into a very dangerous condition called diverticulitis. Let’s take a closer look at this condition and explore some remedies you can rely on if you think you have it.
What is Diverticulitis?
Diverticula are small and bulging pouches of tissue that sometimes appear in the lining of your digestive tract. In most cases, diverticula are found in the colon: the lower part of the large intestine. These are relatively common health issues, particularly in individuals over the age of 40.
If you have one or more diverticula, you have diverticulosis. But in certain cases, your diverticula can become inflamed and/or infected; this is the condition called diverticulitis.
If left unchecked, diverticulitis can lead to intense abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and other symptoms or side effects. Additionally, some pockets can trap food in the intestine and cause digestive backup or infections.
In some cases, complications of diverticulitis may create abscesses, bowel blockages caused by intestinal scarring, abnormal passageway (fistula) between sections of bowel, and even peritonitis. This serious condition occurs when the intestinal contents of an inflamed pouch spill into the abdominal cavity. This is a medical emergency and should be treated immediately with the assistance of a doctor.
Causes of Diverticulitis
In most individuals, the particular crop up when the naturally weak spots in your colon bend or give way under significant pressure, usually as bowels pass through your digestive tract. Small pouches, usually the size of marbles, then protrude through the colon wall.
If the diverticula tear, inflammation may result. This can, in turn, lead to infection and diverticulitis.
Certain individuals are at a greater than average risk for diverticulitis, including:
- Older people. Diverticula becomes more common as you get older.
- Obese individuals.
- Smokers.
- People who don’t exercise regularly.
- People whose diets include lots of animal fat and not enough fiber.
Diagnosis
Before testing, your doctor will ask you questions regarding your medical history and information on your current symptoms. Diverticula can be diagnosed correctly through an MRI or Computed tomography (CT scan) of the abdomen and pelvis.
It can also be assessed using a barium X-ray (barium enema). In severe cases, the scans may show whether the infection has spread to other areas of the body, and whether or not there is an abscess present.
Symptoms of Diverticulitis
Symptoms related to diverticular disease include:
- Abdomen pain
- Diarrhea
- Bloody stool
- Nausea
- Bleeding from the rectum
Remedies for Diverticulitis
It’s never a good idea to let diverticulitis last for too long. Normal diverticula will fade away on their own. But if you suspect diverticulitis, you should take immediate steps to treat the condition and alleviate your symptoms. Doing so will lower the likelihood of peritonitis.
If your diverticulitis isn’t severe, your doctor may simply recommend rest and a liquid diet while your intestines heal.
Avoid Inflammatory Foods
The best thing to do is immediately cut out any inflammatory foods in your nutrition. Inflammatory foods are those that can upset the digestive tract and damage the gut microbiome.
It’s specifically a good idea to cut out the following from your diet:
- Excess sugar
- Excess saturated fat
- Meats with hormones or plastics
By reducing inflammatory foods in your diet, you’ll enjoy greater overall health and lower the likelihood of any diverticula inflammation or tearing, leading to the more serious symptoms described above.
Exercise More
It’s also a good idea to exercise more regularly, especially by doing core or abdominal exercises. Core and abdominal exercises can strengthen the abdominal wall and make it less likely that your intestines will bulge and form one or more diverticula in the first place.
Additionally, exercising boosts your cardiovascular health and leads to greater overall wellness across the board. We specifically recommend HIIT or high-intensity interval training exercises. This type of exercise is excellent for improving your cardiovascular health.
Eat Healthier, Cleaner Foods
While it’s important to cut out inflammatory foods, you should also prioritize healthier and cleaner foods to fill in those gaps. Low carb foods like sweet potatoes, lots of leafy green vegetables, and clean meat such as fish and poultry are great options.
By eating cleaner, healthier foods, you’ll boost your gut microbiome. The microbiome plays a key role in the overall health and strength of your intestines. The healthier this microbiome is, the less likely it is that the intestinal wall will become injured or scarred over time. Livingood Daily Pre + Pro + Post Biotics Blend are an easy way to get all the nutrients you need on a daily basis to maintain gut health and to help boost your gut microbiome.
Plus, you’ll feel better and enjoy greater overall health!
No Smoking!
Smoking can significantly increase the risk of diverticula and other intestinal or digestive disorders. Plus, it’s plain bad for your health any way you look at it.
Smoking can specifically damage the intestines and stomach because you may ingest small amounts of tar and other carcinogenic products from smoking cigarettes or cigars. Over time, this can lead to intestinal scarring or even cancer, or possibly diverticulitis.
Summary
As you can see, there are lots of ways to treat diverticulitis if you think you have this condition or if you think diverticula are more common in your body than average. Check out our other general health tips and don’t hesitate to look through our other guides for more information!
Sources
Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis: Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention | Cleveland Clinic
Peritonitis | Hopkins Medicine
Physical activity decreases diverticular complications | NCBI
