Diver – Is It Ticulosis Or Ticulitis – You Decide.
Have you ever known anyone with diverticulosis or diverticulitis? Diverticulosis which describes a condition where the wall of your digestive tract develops small pouches when the layer of the inner part of the of your digestive tract pushes through the outer layer. (This is similar to what happens when the inner tube of a tire bulges to the outside.)
The spots where the bulges occur is called diverticula. If the diverticula develop inflammation, then it is diverticulitis. One of the most significant causes of diverticulosis is when you consume a low fiber diet.
You will find several people that have diverticulosis that don’t have any symptoms. If you do develop symptoms they can be:
• Bloating
• Pain in your abdomen
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Cramping
When it evolves into diverticulitis, it becomes more severe, and you may notice these symptoms:
• Bleeding from the rectum
• Pain in your stomach (most likely on your lower left side)
• Nausea
• Fever
• Chills
• Vomiting
• Sometimes diarrhea
• Constipation
There are multiple ways to diagnosis if you have either diverticulitis or diverticulosis. There will be a physical exam, and your physician could perform a digital rectal exam. Blood tests, CT scans of the abdomen, X-rays of the stomach, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or a colonoscopy.
To treat diverticulosis, you will need to eat a high fiber diet, drink lots of fluids, and exercise. To treat diverticulitis, it will need to be treated with antibiotics, and at times surgery may be necessary.
Diverticula can appear anywhere from your mouth all the way to your anus, but most of them will occur in your colon (large intestine). It usually happens for some reason in the left lower part of the colon just before it gets to the rectum. The pouches are about marble sized and will appear where blood vessels come through your intestinal wall.
People who develop these pouches are diagnosed with diverticulosis. Since this condition doesn’t cause any symptoms, most people are unaware that it is even present.
If diverticulitis is not addressed quickly, it can cause serious complications. If it becomes serious you may notice some of the following:
• Abdominal pain that gets worse
• Fever that persists
• You cannot tolerate food or liquid (vomiting)
• An extended period of constipation
• Bleeding that comes from your rectum
• Pain and burning when urinating
Diverticulosis seems to be very common in the U.S
• Most of the time it is found in older people.
• In the United States, there is a small percentage of people over the age of 40 that have diverticulosis.
• Over 50% of people who are more than 60 years old will develop this condition and almost two-thirds of people that are over 80 years old are thought to have diverticulosis.
• However, only a few that have diverticulosis will go on to develop diverticulitis.
It has also been identified that diverticulosis is found more often in developed countries.
• You will find that in countries like England, Australia, and the United States that the typical diet is usually low in fiber and people are eating highly processed carbs, and diverticulosis is far more common. It makes the prevailing theory that if you eat a low-fiber diet, it will increase the chances of this disease.
• In the early 1900s was when diverticulosis was first discovered in the United States. It was about this time when U.S. citizens were introduced to processed foods.
• You will find in countries like Africa and Asia, where their diet is high in fiber, diverticulosis is very uncommon.
It is thought that diverticulosis might be caused by inflated pressure on the inside of the intestinal wall.
• As you get older, the outside layer of your intestinal wall gets thicker. It causes the open area that is inside your intestines to get more narrow. Your stool will move more slowly through your colon, and this will increase the pressure on the sides of your gut.
• If you have hard stools, like those generated by eating a low fiber diet it will cause your stool to move slower through your colon, and this can increase the pressure.
• If you have hard stools and are repeatedly straining when you try to have a bowel movement, it will increase the pressure on your intestine, and this can contribute to the making of diverticula.
- • Fiber can be found in vegetables, fruits, legumes (peas, beans, and lentils) and whole grains.
• In case you did not realize it, there are two kinds of fiber; insoluble and soluble (dissolves in water).
*Soluble fiber will make a gel-like substance inside your digestive tract.
*Insoluble fiber will pass through your digestive tract sometimes completely unchanged.
• Both kinds are necessary for your diet to keep your stool soft and moving smoothly through your gut.
• It is this factor that shows you how fiber prevents constipation.
You should see a doctor if you have any of these symptoms below:
• constant pain in your abdomen, usually in the lower-left part of your stomach;
• constant unexplained fevers;
• constant diarrhea;
• constant vomiting; or
• regular or frequent urinary tract infection. - Any time you have bleeding from your rectum, see a doctor as soon as is possible.
• Even if your bleeding stops on its own.
• Bleeding could be a sign of a serious illness or diverticulitis.
• If the blood keeps flowing from your rectum or there is a LOT of blood, go directly to the Emergency Room as soon as possible. - The symptoms below could be a warning sign of something serious, and you should go immediately to the closest emergency room:
• Stomach pain that is getting worse
• Stomach pain with a fever that is persistent
• Vomiting that becomes so severe that you cannot hold down any foods or liquids
• Your abdomen starts swelling and becomes distended or large.
• Constipation that cannot be dealt with over several days; or
• Severe pains or some symptoms that you have had with diverticulitis before. - You can control your diet so that the symptoms of diverticulosis do not affect you. Listed below are some foods to avoid and why if you have diverticulosis.
Milk Seems to be in Everything
Many people are required to not partake of this food entirely for a variety of reasons, and while milk is considered a beverage, you should skip it if you have diverticulosis.
One of the primary reasons you have developed diverticulosis is due to some severe inflammation going on in your gut, that causes sacs and pouches to penetrate and take over the walls of your intestines.
Milk has been identified as a high generator of inflammation and if you think you might have diverticulosis, seriously consider skipping the milk.
Foods that are Spicy
Sure, everyone cooks with spices, and agreeably, it helps the flavor and does make your food taste incredible. Some spices like chili powder and cayenne pepper need to be avoided if you have diverticulosis.
If you like spicy foods, avoid them whenever you can, but remember, the number of spices you eat before having bowel problems will be different from person to person.
Sweet Corn
If you are like most adults, then corn is probably a significant food in your diet. Corn is easy to grow, cost-effective for families budgeting, and it is complicated for your body to digest.
The corn you eat is not processed in your body; instead, it is passed straight through your gut and eliminated in your feces. When it happens, it causes you to have a higher chance of developing gas and urgency to defecate, even if you don’t have bowel issues.
When you have diverticulosis and other gut problems, corn can make the symptoms worse, causing you to have to get to the bathroom quickly.
Beautiful Green Broccoli
It’s hard to say not to eat certain vegetables. The research to back the consumption of vegetables, and especially broccoli can be found everywhere you look; however, when you have diverticulosis, it is a whole different story.
Broccoli can cause excessive gas in people who suffer from bowel issues, and there are some antioxidants in each serving of broccoli, it needs to be avoided when you have diverticulosis.
All kinds of Nuts
Nuts are great for snacks, low cholesterol, and abundant energy. However, nuts can be dangerous for those who suffer from diverticulosis, especially if your condition is severe. Nuts are full of great nutrients to help you stay healthy, but, there is concern that shards that are not entirely chewed into a paste can cause damage to the intestinal walls.
When we chew nuts, there is a great chance that tiny shards from the shell are not broken down, and then the diverticulosis sacs can be damaged during digestion and cause infections in your intestines.
Delicious Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a great high fiber food and one to avoid if you have diverticulosis. Part of the reason is that Brussels sprouts, like their big cousin cabbage, can cause pretty lousy gas in some folks, which can make the symptoms worse.
Give it to me straight up – Coffee
There are lots of benefits to having fresh coffee in the morning. It is not befitting for those who suffer from diverticulosis to drink java on a regular basis.
Coffee has copious amounts of caffeine per cup, and caffeine stimulates bowel movements. You may have seen the coffee mugs that say, “Coffee makes me POOP! Having diverticulosis, that cup of coffee will speed up your “GO” time, and it could cause real problems to get worse with every cup.
Cheese Lovers Disband Immediately
Cheese is made from milk, cheese tastes great, it is a tasty snack food, and all the time you are snacking away on it, you are damaging your intestines if you happen to have diverticulosis.
Several adults can’t process dairy because they lack the enzyme lactase. It is the main reason for lactose intolerance, and cheese and lactose intolerance can increase the amount of inflammation in your gut.
Wonderful Fried Foods
Fried foods can affect your cholesterol, weight, blood sugar, and those fried foods are detrimental to your intestines, especially true if you are the victim of diverticulosis.
Diverticulosis has zero tolerance when it comes to fried foods. When you eat these foods and have the disease, make sure you are near a restroom. Grease from fried foods can generate the sacs to expand in your gut and even burst, which can bring on infections.
Fatty Foods Can Make You Fat
If you are a consumer of lots of pizza, cheeseburgers, ice cream, and donuts, you are merely adding daggers to your diverticulosis. When that fat enters your gut, you are giving the sacs of the diverticulosis their nutrient source so they can get even bigger and then when they blow open, you will probably feel a very sharp pain in your gut.
Cabbage and Chemicals
Cabbage itself contains many different chemicals and the right substances that usually cause severe gas. After eating a meal with cabbage, the next morning you will probably start to feel its effects, and it will only be worse if you have diverticulosis.
Soda – we are all hooked on Carbonation
Most of us enjoy a carbonated soda, but if you have diverticulosis, it can be a real issue. Diverticulosis can be the culprit to cause inflammation throughout your body and will make the condition worse. If you have diverticulosis, consider not drinking that carbonated delight.
Beautiful Beans
Research has proven that fiber intake is fine for those with diverticulosis, but there is one subtle detail that must be remembered with the condition. If you are in a flare of diverticulosis, it would be wise not to eat those kidney or garbanzo beans at that time.
They are high in fiber, could help with your issue, but they will cause an extraordinary amount of gas, making the condition more unbearable.
Quinoa – the Superfood
Quinoa is known for its high nutritional content, protein, and fiber in every serving. Its downside, or so it seems, is that it has been found to create more problems when it comes to diverticulosis.
Lentils – are they a bean?
Lentils are an excellent food choice in that they offer fiber and protein in each serving. But, if you have diverticulosis, you should stay away from them.
They can increase your urgency to use the bathroom, and create an abnormal amount of gas in the gut. Many people report overall stomach pains because the body is trying to move those fibrous foods thru your intestines.
Ice Cream – Who doesn’t love ice cream?
Ice cream and frozen yogurt is mostly sugar, which feeds the inflammation and other issues going on in your intestinal tract. If you have vast amounts of sugar in your gut, and you have diverticulosis, it supplies an environment in your body that promotes the condition to worsen.
Wheat – makes bread
Nowadays, wheat is promoted to give you a healthy heart and lean body. Wheat is in about every carbohydrate you eat other than fruits and vegetables, and if you happen to have a choice between eating wheat and not eating wheat, then you should select wheat options.
When you have diverticulosis; it is important not to eat the 100% wheat options and eat more of the foods that will not irritate your intestines, stomach lining, and other GI areas.
Alcohol – even Wine and Beer
Everyone should know this, but if you are sick, it is wise to stay away from alcohol until you are told by your doctor it is ok to drink it again.
Alcohol can cause your body to dehydrate, which is usually not noticed until later the next day. When your body gets dehydrated, it can cause your bowel movement to come to a complete stop or become hard to move, irritating your intestinal lining.
By using a good natural colon cleanser, this could all be avoided and help extensively to aid your colon in feeling better in the end.