Eat a high-fiber diet when you have diverticulosis. Fiber softens the stool and helps prevent constipation. It also can help decrease pressure in the colon and help prevent flare-ups of diverticulitis.
The best way to help prevent diverticulitis is to keep diverticulosis under control. That means eating a high fiber diet – which requires 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. Fiber is found in grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Living with diverticular disease
If you have diverticulosis, you may sometimes get flare-ups of diverticulitis. To prevent these, your doctor may suggest you eat more fiber, drink plenty of fluids, and exercise regularly. This should help prevent the pouches from becoming infected or inflamed.
Once you developed diverticula, they are unlikely to go away. Bleeding and inflammation are two common complications of diverticulosis. Diet plays an important role in the prevention of the progression of diverticulosis, but will not be able to reverse the process.
Generally, it's not a cause for concern. Diverticulosis by itself typically doesn't trigger any symptoms. Rarely, diverticula may bleed, causing blood in the stool. As in your case, diverticulosis is often found during a routine colonoscopy or on an imaging exam, such as a CT scan, that's done for another reason.
CAUSES. The most commonly accepted theory for the formation of diverticulosis is related to high pressure within the colon, which causes weak areas of the colon wall to bulge out and form the sacs. A diet low in fiber and high in red meat may also play a role.
Once diverticula form, they do not disappear by themselves. Fortunately, most patients with diverticulosis do not have symptoms, and therefore do not need treatment.
How is complicated diverticulitis treated? In about 80 out of 100 people, complicated diverticulitis clears up within a few weeks of having treatment with antibiotics.
It's much less common — 1 or 2% — in patients less than age 30. How long could a person live with diverticulosis before it's detected? The vast majority of patients would live their whole lives without having any sort of complication.
If left untreated, it will affect your ability to digest food and cause you considerable pain. Intestinal blockage from diverticular disease is very rare. Other causes, such as cancer, are more common. This is one of the reasons your GP will investigate your symptoms.
While the cause of diverticular diseases is unknown, several studies associate the conditions with low fiber intake, excessive alcohol use, anti-inflammatory medications, steroids, obesity, and smoking.
Diverticulosis is quite common, especially as people age. More than 30% of U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 59 and more than 70% of those older than age 80 have diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis will never develop symptoms or problems.
How common are colonic diverticula? We are all born without colonic diverticula, but many of us acquire them over a lifetime. In Western societies, half the population will have at least one, and usually a few dozen, by age 60.
The most common symptom of diverticulitis is belly or abdominal pain. The most common sign that you have it is feeling sore or sensitive on the left side of your lower belly. If infection is the cause, then you may have fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, cramping, and constipation.
Untreated, diverticulitis can be serious, leading to issues such as bowel obstruction and fistula. Get the information you need to lower your risk for these problems and other comorbidities. Diverticulitis is a form of colitis that can be serious and lead to other health complications if not caught early and treated.
It is possible that stress plays a role in the development of diverticulitis as it is estimated that in 60 percent of cases the condition occurs due to environmental causes. Stress on the digestive system commonly experienced because of low fiber diets. Diets high in fat may also cause diverticulitis.
The doctor also may suggest taking a fiber product, such as Citrucel® or Metamucil®, once a day. Your doctor may recommend a low- or high-fiber diet depending on your condition. Listed below are high-fiber food options for diverticulosis and low-fiber food options for diverticulitis.
Diverticulosis of the colon is often diagnosed during routine screening colonoscopy. In clinical practice, severe diverticulosis anatomically increases the risk of perforation because of fixed angulations, deep folds, and peristalsis of the colon[5-7].
Plant fiber, especially the insoluble fiber, is the best. These are the fibers that do not produce colon gas. The easiest to take are wheat bran, amaranth, barley and others as listed in Fiber Content of Foods.
Some other herbs and supplements have been suggested for diverticular disease, including garlic, green tea, turmeric, ginger, marshmallow root, flaxseed, or licorice. It's thought that some supplements may have anti-inflammatory effects.
Symptoms of Diverticular Disease
Diverticulitis (flare-up) occurs when the diverticula become inflamed and/or infected. There might be an increase in diarrhea, cramping, and bowel irritability, and symptoms can include intense pain, abdominal cramping, bleeding, bloating, and fever.
The recent literature does not identify diverticular disease as a long-term risk factor for colorectal cancer. However, the risk of colorectal cancer is increased in the short-term period after hospitalization related to diverticular disease.
How often should you have a colonoscopy with diverticulosis? You'll probably need a colonoscopy every 5 to 8 years if you have diverticulosis. Your doctor will let you know how often you need a colonoscopy if you have diverticulosis depending on the severity of your symptoms.