Preventing Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is a digestive disease that affects the colon or the large intestine. It follows the incidence of an asymptomatic disease called diverticulosis. Diverticulosis causes the formation of pouches called diverticula on the outer surface of the colon. When these pouches are very large, they causes food and fecal matter to be stuck inside them; thereby, causing acute abdominal pain and the inflammation or infection of these pouches. This usually results due to increased intraluminal colonic pressure because, it is that part of the colon that is smallest in diameter.

A lack of non-soluble dietary fiber named roughage can also cause people to suffer from colonic diverticulitis. One of the commonly assumed and in fact, medically proven reasons for this is that there are blocks of feces or undigested food particles, which cause the mechanical blockage of the diverticulum and thereby lead to its infection. It is possible that the development of diverticulae is due to hereditary factors as well. The most common symptom is abdominal pain. One may also notice tenderness of the left hand side of the abdomen. However, if infection takes hold, then the patient may also suffer from nausea, fever, cramps, and constipation as well. Usually, the patient just starts with mild pains, which may then increases to nausea and severe cramps. In some cases, the pain may also be there on the right hand side of the abdomen. Now this would not be a case of Diverticulitis, but would be a case of appendicitis. However, to confirm it, you would have to undergo a CT scan.

Medical studies have proved that there is no direct connection between Diverticulitis and the consumption of alcohol. However, alcohol can certainly worsen the symptoms. Therefore, it is suggested that alcohol should be avoided in cases of Diverticulitis. Alcohol is a toxin and when the colon or the bowel is inflamed, it can cause the thinning of the bowel and thereby lead to bleeding. The treatment of this disease involves the use of heavy antibiotic to reduce the infection. If this does not end up giving the sufferer any relief then there is no other option but surgical intervention, to remove the development of diverticulae. One of the measures of diverticulitis relief that you can use at home is the use of ginger in high concentrations. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory that has always been used for treating gastrointestinal problems. Dietary restriction is also a good idea, perhaps even fasting or switching to a liquid diet to cleanse the colon completely of fecal fragments would help in containing this condition.

Before getting into the details of the condition diverticulitis, it is first essential to understand exactly what diverticulum are; and the role they play in the human body. The diverticulum are essentially small pouches that develop on the colon lining and swell towards the outsides through spots that are weak of the large intestine. The collective term for these pouches is diverticula. This generally becomes a very common condition to be affected by as a natural course of the aging process. Studies have shown that almost 10% of the entire population of the United States of America that is over the age of 40 currently suffers from the condition. While diverticulosis is a condition that rarely causes any discomfort, some people tend to complain of pain in the large intestine especially in the lower portion. Diverticulitis is the medical condition in which there is inflammation of these pouches and the condition is extremely painful. Studies have shown that about 25% of the individuals that are affected by dicerticulosis will eventually see the condition develop into an instance of diverticulitis. Probably the most general symptom of diverticulitis as well as the most prominent one is the intense pain that an individual is likely to experience in the left lower side of their abdomen. While most cases will see the pain suddenly emerge rather sharply, some instances will see the pain gradually develop and become increasingly worse over a matter of days.
Because of the fact that diverticulitis will usually see these small pouches not only inflamed, but also slightly cut, the chances of complications in the frame of infection and bleeding are very likely to develop. While bleeding is a particularly exceptional complication, many doctors state that the occurrence is most likely to be caused by a blood vessel which is very small and is present in the diverticulum that becomes weak. As it continues to become weak it then slowly bursts. The blood will usually be noticed when you empty your bowels and may not really require any significant treatment as it may even dissipate in a few days without any significant trouble.

Although not completely proven, the medical fraternity believes that the root cause of the complication rises from an excessive consumption of a diet that is low in fiber content. The first instances of the condition were initially noticed some time when the processed foods were being introduced into the country – around the 1900s. Because of the over reliance on low fiber in most developed countries, the condition is known to be more common here. The same condition is rather rare in developing countries such as India, parts of Africa and other parts of Asia because the population relies heavily on an adequate intake of fibrous foods. Some studies have also shown that a lack of exercise does tend to play a role in the development of the condition, however, this theory has not been completely studied and the basis of the theory are, as of yet, unsubstantiated. The condition will usually come to light only when the diverticula have become inflamed. Proper diagnosis of the condition will require the doctor to gather as much information on the patient’s medical history as possible in conjunction with the analysis of results from a number of tests. Two of the more common radiologic tests that are performed in the event that the doctor suspects a case of diverticulitis include abdominal ultrasound and computerized tomography scan, also known as a CT scan. In the abdominal ultrasound test, sound waves are first sent with the help of a machine toward the person’s colon through a special device and these sound waves will bounce off the other organs and colon. The echoes generated will create an electrical impulse to form an image of the internal structures that can be viewed by the attending physician on a monitor. Any inflamed diverticula will show up on this screen, making diagnosis rather easy. A CT scan mainly is a non invasive x-ray which will produce cross section views of the individual’s body and the doctor could choose to inject a dye into the vein or ask the patient to swallow the contrast material. When the x-rays are taken, this dye will show up any complications of the condition including the perforations as well as the abscesses.

Most people ask does alcohol affect diverticulitis or what the effect of alcohol on diverticulitis. While a number of medical research papers show that there is no direct relation between diverticulitis and alcohol consumption, an intake of alcohol is known to amplify the symptoms to an almost unbearable state. This make alcohol and diverticulitis related. This is primarily because of the fact that alcohol is a toxin that can cause the thinning of the bowel and thereby leading to instances of bleeding. Treatment of the condition will require the doctor to prescribe some heavy antibiotics in order to reduce the infection around the area. Surgical intervention may really be the only other option available to the patient in the event that the antibiotic dosage appears ineffective. All in all, it is very important to make sure that the combination of diverticulitis and alcohol is better left not bothered with as it could have a very significant impact on the quality of life that you lead. Also make it a point to ensure that you get as much fiber intake as a part of your regular diet in order to avoid the development of diverticulitis in the future. Because of the fact that ginger is known to have very effective anti inflammatory powers and is very beneficial in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems, you should include it in your regular diet for as long as the condition is around. Immediate surgery may be required in the event that the patient is suffering from other complications such as in the case of large abscesses, perforations and severe bleeding. Due to the fact that it might not be a good idea to join to colon right away, two surgeries may be required. It is necessary that even after surgery one should avoid the consumption of alcohol for some amount of time as suggested by your doctor. Diverticulitis and alcoholism cold lead to conditions that could also prove fatal to the individual and it is therefore necessary to take necessary precautions.