Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is the disease or irritation of pockets that can shape up in your digestive tracts. These pockets are known as diverticula. The pockets by and large are not unsafe. They can appear at any place in your digestive tracts. Their presence is marked with the medical condition named diverticulosis. 

This diverticular disease is caused by a number of factors like lack of dietary fibre, genetics, decreased immune function, obesity, lack of physical activity, changes in the gut microbiome, smoking or certain medications, such as steroids.

Most individuals with diverticulosis do not ever encounter any signs and symptoms. This is called asymptomatic diverticulosis. There might be episodes of torment in the lower abdomen. All the more explicitly, typically in the lower left half of the midsection. The aggravation regularly comes when the singular eats or passes stools. Other symptoms of acute diverticulitis consist of constipation, blood in stools, Nausea and vomiting, fever and abdominal tenderness. 

This diverticulitis pain can be very disturbing for people who have busy work schedules and have to catch up with their appointments. Hence, it becomes vital for people to take care of themselves and prevent colonic diverticulosis and diverticulitis. 

Diverticulitis treatment can be done without reaching for medical procedures if the symptoms are not too harsh. If the medical condition is severe, the gastroenterologist may advise the patient to follow a whole course of antibiotics or hospital treatment. The patient is put on a diverticulitis diet which involves a liquid diet that helps in relieving any stress on the digestive tract. A colon resection is advised for people diagnosed with severe symptoms of diverticulitis. This procedure involves the removal of the affected part of the colon and joining the remaining healthy parts together. 

Dr Nivedita Pandey is a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist settled in the capital of the country, New Delhi. She works as a Transplant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist and has finished her high level studies in the USA. Dr Nivedita is well known for her benevolent and sympathetic methodology towards her patients. Her expertise lies in treating patients suffering from obesity, food allergies, diverticular diseases. She is well known for her nutrition counselling as well as liver transplant services. Dr Good Deed was established by Dr Nivedita Pandey and her partner, determined to convey medical care to the most remote parts of the country by utilising innovation and correspondence. She conducts virtual consultation sessions for her patients who are not able to visit her clinic. Her online consultations are a relief to many people who can sit at their homes and get an instant solution for their problems. 

Now, you must have got a fair idea of what diverticular disease of the colon is, how it is caused, its symptoms and treatment. But what about the foods to avoid with diverticulitis?

Don’t worry! We have got everything listed for you. So, let us get right to the bottom of it. At times, a specialist will suggest that somebody with diverticulitis take just clear fluids for a couple of days keeping in mind the foods to avoid with diverticulitis. These incorporate water, gelatin, fruit juices, tea and coffee without cream, Broth, ice chips and ice pops. A liquid diet is always a primary step in treating diverticulitis. 

Considering meals the one with diverticulitis should take low fibre meals so that the digestive tract is not stressed too much. Such food items include :

  • Canned fruits and seedless vegetables– These are very nutritious and easy to digest at the same time. 
  • Eggs, poultry, and fish– These are another set of foods that are highly nutritious and provide easy digestion. 
  • Yoghurt– Yoghurt is rich in probiotics or useful bacteria and yeasts that assist keep good gut health.
  • Refined white bread– refined grains are deficient in fibre and they pass fast via your digestive tract.
  • Pasta, white rice, and noodles– All these food items are an example of low carbs that are perfect for treating diverticulitis. 
  • Lentils– are well known for preventing spikes in blood sugar and improving bowel function. 
  • Almonds and dried dates– Due to their quality of being rich in polyphenols, they are highly recommended for people with an upset stomach. 

Since diverticulitis uncovers irritation, it is vital for the individual with a functioning case to keep away from the very food varieties you need to eat to forestall the condition. The list of diverticulitis foods to avoid involve :

  • Red and processed meats – They have high levels of nitrosamines which can deteriorate your condition if you have diverticulitis. 
  • Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas and kidney beans – pulses contain large amounts of indigestible carbohydrates that are fermented in the gastrointestinal tract worsening diverticulitis. 
  • Full-fat dairy – Consuming too many dairy products can damage the stomach because your body can not break and digest it quick enough.
  • Fermented foods – Due to their high probiotic content, they are the major reason for bloating and gas.
  • Fried food – This kind of food item is very delicious to eat but very hard to digest, stressing the digestive tract.
  • Hard to chew foods – Hard food sources that are challenging to separate are bound to get caught in the pockets of your colon.
  • Popcorn as you tend to consume these foodstuffs fast—rather than properly chewing them. 

Gastrointestinal issues regularly accompany a rundown of food varieties to stay away from. It has been proposed in the past that nuts, popcorn, and seeds can make symptoms flare up.  

One should follow the low fibre diet until diverticulitis signs decline. Fibre serves a significant job in the stomach related cycle, relaxing stool and assisting it with moving all the more easily through the colon. An absence of fibre can cause a stoppage, which makes stools harder to pass, placing weight on the muscles of the colon. The stoppage might make the advancement of diverticula almost certain.