A diet high in fibre, being active and drinking plenty of water help reduce the problems from diverticular disease. Short-term management of painful flare-ups of diverticular disease may need a low-fibre diet. Long-term, a high-fibre is recommended.
In most cases, diverticulitis is not considered to be a life-threatening or life-limiting condition. However, symptoms of diverticulitis, such as abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhea, and lower-digestive-tract bleeding, can cause complications that can raise the risk of mortality.
A diet high in fiber helps to keep stool soft, easing its passage through the colon. It can also reduce inflammation in the colon. Foods that are high in fiber include grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. A nutritionist or registered dietitian at NYU Langone can create a meal plan that focuses on high-fiber foods.
In about 95 out of 100 people, uncomplicated diverticulitis goes away on its own within a week. In about 5 out of 100 people, the symptoms stay and treatment is needed. Surgery is only rarely necessary.
Mild cases of diverticulitis are usually treated with antibiotics and a low-fiber diet, or treatment may start with a period of rest where you eat nothing by mouth, then start with clear liquids and then move to a low-fiber diet until your condition improves. More-severe cases typically require hospitalization.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
Pay attention to symptoms and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Stay away from nuts and seeds, and don't eat popcorn — that's what doctors said years ago if you had diverticulosis, a condition marked by tiny pouches (diverticula) that develop in the lining of the colon.
Diverticulitis is an intestinal disease that can cause fatigue in some people. The fatigue may be caused by infection, inflammation, or sleep disruption due to pain. It could also be related to nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, dehydration, medication side effects, or surgery.
Symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, fever, and nausea are also possible. Sometimes it is necessary to rule out other causes before arriving at a diagnosis of diverticulitis. In the majority of cases, a diverticulitis attack will resolve within a week with conservative treatment.
Alcohol may lead to gastric irritation and trigger diverticulitis symptoms. Consumption of alcohol may also increase the frequency of flare-ups. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have diverticulitis symptoms. They may advise you to avoid alcohol completely to prevent the condition from worsening.
You should begin to feel normal again after about six weeks, but should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise as these may increase the possibility of hernia formation. You may still tire easily for several months as your body finishes the healing process. You should be sure to rest whenever you feel fatigued.
Diverticulosis: What to Eat. Cater says people with diverticulosis can benefit from eating fiber-rich foods, including: Whole grains, such as quinoa, bulgur, teff, barley, popcorn, oats, shredded wheat or bran cereals, and whole grain breads. Beans and legumes, including black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils.
In rare cases, an infected diverticulum (pouch in your colon) can split, spreading the infection into the lining of your abdomen (perforation). An infection of the lining of the abdomen is known as peritonitis. Peritonitis can be life-threatening, and requires immediate treatment with antibiotics.
A low-fiber diet leads to constipation, which increases pressure within the digestive tract with straining during bowel movements. The combination of pressure and straining over many years likely leads to diverticulosis.
In most cases, diverticulitis can be treated at home with oral antibiotics, but if your condition is severe, a hospital stay may be required. Your doctor will recommend getting plenty of rest, taking medication to control pain, and drinking mainly fluids for the first couple of days of your recovery.
If you don't treat it, diverticulitis can lead to serious complications that require surgery: Abscesses, collections of pus from the infection, may form around the infected diverticula. If these go through the intestinal wall, you could get peritonitis. This infection can be fatal.
Common symptoms include bloating or gas, nausea, vomiting, and tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen. In addition, some people with diverticulitis don't feel hungry and may not eat much. The symptoms often start suddenly and worsen over a few days.
Stay with liquids or a bland diet (plain rice, bananas, dry toast or crackers, applesauce) until you are feeling better. Then you can return to regular foods and slowly increase the amount of fibre in your diet. Use a heating pad set on low on your belly to relieve mild cramps and pain.
Get more exercise
This might help alleviate pain due to diverticulitis. Low-to-medium impact exercise has anti-inflammatory effects, according to one 2019 review . The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.
There are no specific foods you need to avoid. You do not need to avoid any foods such as nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn or tomatoes if you have diverticular disease. These foods do not make diverticular disease worse. These foods may even help prevent it because they are high fibre choices.
Plus, probiotics have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help to ease inflammation from diverticulitis. Probiotics are available in supplement form, but they can also be found in certain foods, such as yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetables.
Physical adaptation to a severe social stress possibly generates sustained dominance of the sympathetic over the parasympathetic activity, leading through a prolonged spasm of the sigmoid to the creation of diverticula and the related disease.