Not about everyone knows what the term “diverticulitis” is, or what it even means to signify, so let us define it first: diverticulitis is the inflammation of one or more diverticula, which is a pouch-like herniation through the muscular wall of the tubular organ.
The diverticulum is located in the stomach, the small intestine or—most commonly—in the colon. If you want to see how your diverticulum really looks like, then you have to “ingest” a radiopaque substance which can then detect your organ through radiography. But do not worry; it is not the same as being “radioactive”, if you know what we mean.
Anyways, diverticulitis happens when a penetration of the fecal matter though the thin walled diverticulum has caused an inflammation and a formation of abscess or “blister” in the tissues surround the colon. With repeated inflammation, the lumen or the opening on the colon narrows and may become obstructed.
During these periods of inflammation, the client may experience a cramp-like pain, particularly over the sigmoid colon. Other signs and symptoms may also include fever and leukocystosis. In some ways, it eerily resembles the signs and symptoms of another notable gastrointestinal disorder, the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Barium enemas and proctoscopy are the diagnostic procedures used to rule out the carcinoma of the colon, sine both this disease and diverticulitis exhibit some of the same symptoms.
Diverticulitis is not that hard to “treat”. Oftentimes, bed rest, a regular infusion of intravenous (IV) fluid, and a prescription of antibiotics can control the disease. But one of the more important factors in managing most cases of diverticulitis is through knowing what kinds of food to eat and not eat. It is primarily a gastrointestinal disease, after all, so the right diet can play a significant part in controlling diverticulitis.
So what will you know what kinds of food you should avoid with diverticulitis? For this, you only have to remember three adjectives: those that are not solid, spicy, or having too much “skin”. Confused? We bet you are. So let us break down each of these adjectives.
For the “solid” part, all you need to avoid are food containing nuts, corn, or even those with seeds. It is well-known among dietitians everywhere that these three can be particularly hard to digest. Nuts like peanuts, walnuts and almonds should be avoided like the plague. For seeds, some notable examples are those crackers containing sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
A spicy food mixed in your diet is also an absolute no-no for folks suffering from diverticulitis. Why is that? Well, just think of it as an incident where a chilli powder has gotten into your eye. Painful, isn’t it? Well, that’s what spicy food can do to individuals who suffer from diverticulitis: it aggravates the symptoms much even worse than it usually is.
Finally, vegetables—as good to the health as these are—should also be avoided. No, we don’t mean “all” vegetables, but just the “cruciferous” ones. What do these look like? Well, have you seen some vegetables where there seems to be a miniature “forest” growing on their top? If you still don’t get it, then here’s an example of them: cauliflower, cabbage, kale and broccoli are only some of these cruciferous vegetables. Now, you remembered the last “s” adjective right? Well, here’s why we included it: it is necessary that you have to eat vegetables, no questions about it. However, you have to “un-skin” these first before you can proceed in cooking or steaming them. Does that make sense? If not, then at least you still have an idea of what you have to do.
So there you go. If you still have any questions with regards to diverticulitis, please don’t hesitate to ask your physician.
