Diverticulitis Treatment (Traditional)

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Treatment for diverticulitis depends on three factors: the severity of your symptoms, your perceived risk of developing complications from this disorder and if you’ve been subject to previous recurrent attacks.

If you’ve never experienced diverticulitis before and your symptoms are relatively mild, then your doctor may just recommend some self-care procedures that you can easily carry out at home. Otherwise, you’ll be looking at treatment that’s a little more extensive and involved.

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So how does one fix a “hole” in the colon wall?

For most individuals who have never suffered with this problem before, treatment is fairly simple. The theory seems to be: Let the body heal itself.

One of your first duties is to take several days off. That’s right! Your physician will recommend that you just lay low for a few days. While you’re doing this – or not doing anything, to be exact! – you’ll need to do the exact opposite of what you expect: avoid all whole grains, fruits and vegetables. This allows your colon to rest and heal.

What kind of food will you be allowed to eat? It depends on just what type of diet your doctor will place you on. In general, he’ll choose from two of the most common for people recovering from diverticulitis: a clear-liquid or a low-fiber.

If you’re placed on the clear-liquid regimen, then you can expect the sum total of your food to include just about any or all of the following:

· Water

· Fruit juices – as long as there’s no pulp present

· Tea or coffee with no cream or milk

· Broth

· Popsicles – as long as they have no fruit segments or fruit pulp

· Gelatin

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A low-fiber diet has a few more choices to it. If your doctor has placed you on this, then this is what you can, in all probability select from:

· Tender meat, poultry and fish

· Eggs

· Canned vegetables without seeds, hulls or skins (well cooked-fresh vegetables)

· Enriched white bread

· Milk

· Yogurt

· Cheese (as long as it doesn’t contain nuts or seeds)

· Smooth peanut butter (not crunchy)

· Low-fiber cereals

· White rice

· Plain pasta, noodles or macaroni

· Raw, canned or cooked fruits with no membranes, skins, or seeds

When you notice improvement in your symptoms – and that should take no more than four days, then your physician will allow you to eat a more varied diet. He’ll probably tell you to gradually increase the amount of fiber you eat. You may want to start by adding about five – and probably no more than 15 – grams to being with. This allows your digestive system to adjust to the fiber.

But that’s not all your doctor will physician will recommend. He more than likely will prescribe antibiotics. These will kill the bacteria that caused your infection in the first place. Remember that when you take antibiotics you must finish your entire prescription – even though you may be feeling much better.

If you discontinue use too soon, you run the chance that your infection may return. By not finishing your prescription, you may also be contributing to the creation of strains of bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics.

If, in addition, to the infection, you have moderate or severe pain, you probably will be taking over-the-counter pain reliever, like acetaminophen. Usually, physicians don’t like to recommend any pain reliever stronger than over-the-counter products. Prescription drugs tend to cause a certain degree of constipation. This will only aggravate the health condition.

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If you need more than home care . . .

For some people, an attack of diverticulitis is so bad that it sends them to the hospital. This is happens when the condition threatens to obstruct your bowel or you may be at risk for peritonitis. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the lining of your abdominal cavity or your peritoneum. Make no mistake about this, peritonitis is a medical emergency. It requires professional care immediately! While here, you’ll receive intravenous antibiotics.

Sometimes, surgery is required to correct the problem. This alternative is usually recommended if you have a fistula or repeated and recurring diverticulitis. Surgery is performed to remove the diseased portion of your colon. If you find yourself in this position, you’ll be facing one of two forms of surgery.

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Primary bowel resection is the standard surgery for diverticulitis. In this procedure the disease portion of your intestine is removed. The surgeon then takes the healthy segments of your colon and reconnects them. This allows you to have normal bowel movements.

You may undergo either the traditional, open surgery or laparoscopic. Which you receive depends on the extent of your inflammation. If you undergo open surgery, you’ll have one long incision cut into your abdomen. In the laparoscopic procedure, the surgeon creates three or four small incisions. In the latter process, you’ll heal more quickly. This might not be an option, however, if you are extremely overweight or if your inflammation is extreme.

If your inflammation is so severe that it’s impossible to rejoin your colon and rectum, then you’ll undergo an alternative surgery. It’s called a bowel resection with colostomy. During this procedure, an opening – called a stoma – is made in your abdominal wall. The section of your colon that is not affected by diverticulitis is then connected to the stoma. The waste is then passed through the opening into the bag.

The colostomy may be temporary or permanent. It could be that once the inflammation has healed – this may take as long as several months – your colon and rectum may be able to be reconnected.

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