Diverticulitis is a painful condition that usually manifests in the lower left abdominal region. Caused when diverticula, or pockets in the wall of the intestine, become inflamed or infected, reduce the pain and improve this condition by trying a wide variety of treatments including a very specific diet.
Treatment
Treatment for acute diverticulitis can range anywhere from antibiotics to surgery to remove the problem area in the colon. The least invasive treatment calls for a prescription antibiotic to kill the bacteria causing your infection. Taking the antibiotic in combination with rest and a liquid diet will help eliminate your symptoms. Your doctor may also prescribe some pain medication; however, some of these cause constipation that can further aggravate the problem.
If your pain returns after you have finished taking the antibiotic or if you have a bowel obstruction, you may need to be hospitalized and given stronger antibiotics intravenously. If these treatments do not work or if you have a recurring problem or if you have any kind of perforation or abscess, your doctor may recommend that you have one of two types of surgery. One of these is called a primary bowel resection. This surgery entails removing the diseased portion of the intestine and then reconnecting the healthy parts. Primary bowel resections can either done via a long abdominal incision or through laparoscopic surgery using four small incisions. In general, patients recover more quickly from laparoscopic surgery. The other surgery option is a bowel resection with colostomy. Doctors perform this surgery when a patient has so much inflammation that the surgeon can't rejoin the colon and rectum. Instead, the surgeon connects the unaffected part of the colon to a bag that has been placed in an opening made in the abdominal wall. Once the inflammation has healed after several months, your surgeon will most likely perform another operation to reconnect your colon to your rectum.
Diet
When you have a diverticulitis attack, your doctor may recommend that you have a clear liquid diet for two to three days. Foods on a clear liquid diet include popsicles, gelatin, broth, clear soda, juice without pulp, coffee without cream, and tea.
Your physician might also suggest eating a low-fiber diet of less than 10 g of fiber a day. Some of the foods on a lower-fiber diet include the following grain products: soda crackers, white rice, pasta, white bread, bagels, and English muffins as well as cereals like Cheerios, corn flakes, Rice Krispies, Special K, and Cream of Wheat. Avoid whole grains that have lots of fiber. For fruits, eat grapes, bananas, apricots, peaches, watermelon, honeydew melon, and fruit juices. Stay away from prune juice as well as raw and dried fruits and berries. For vegetables, eat potatoes without the skin along with lettuce, mushrooms, red and green peppers, squash, beets, and vegetable juice. Make sure your vegetables are well cooked, and don't eat cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. For protein eat well-cooked meats, fish and eggs and stay away from beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Check with your healthcare provider or dietician for recommendations about the types of dairy you can have.
If you stay on this diet for a long period, you will probably need to take a multivitamin to get the nutrients you need.
As your diverticulitis symptoms improve, gradually add more fiber back into your diet. In fact, a high-fiber diet is crucial in preventing future attacks. Women should shoot for about 25 g and men should have approximately 38 g of fiber a day. Just be sure that as you increase your fiber you also drink more fluids as well. In addition, eliminate foods that are hard to digest like popcorn, seeds, nuts and corn.
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