Diverticulitis and Intestinal Inflammation
What is diverticulitis?
Let us start by Diverticula disease. This explains the findings of many diverticula along the colon. Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system. They are found most often in the lower part of the large intestine. Diverticula are common, especially after the age of 40, and it might lead to inflammation. The presence of diverticula is known as diverticulosis. When one or more of the diverticula become inflamed, and in some cases infected, that condition is known as diverticulitis, causing severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea and an important change in your bowel habits.
Why Me ?
Age is a major risk factor for diverticulosis, which is quite uncommon before the age of 40. However, about one-third of all Americans will develop the condition by the age of 60, and two-thirds will have it by the age of 85.
Diverticulosis is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States. In Europe is not far behind it nevertheless the condition is often undiagnosed.
It wasn’t a common condition. Diverticulosis was an uncommon condition around 100 years ago. Therefore, it’s still rare in some developing countries. That makes us think why and research brought us to a common factor: nutrition!
The principal factor in developing diverticulosis is diet. Especially the consumption of refined carbohydrates, red meat and trans fat vegetable oils. A typical western diet prive of fibers.
Diverticulosis such as many other metabolic conditions, is a disease of Western civilisation. Lack of sports, lack of a proper nutrition, contaminants, pollutants and toxins. All these are epigenetic factors that are slowly leading to chronic diseases. As a result, these trigger the overgrowth of bad bacteria on your gut. People who develop diverticulitis may not have enough good bacteria in their colons.
Diverticulitis Symptoms:
The signs and symptoms of diverticulitis include:
All above are signs of silent inflammation on the metabolism. Consequently inflammation is what causes the “itis” into diverticulitis, which is the most common complication of diverticular disease.
The bacteria that are packed into stools by the hundreds of millions are responsible for the inflammation of diverticulitis. Pathogenic bacteria multiply as a cause of intestinal dysbiosis which is a consequence of an unbalanced diet.
What’s happen with Diverticular pouches ?
Pouches become inflamed by pressure, trapped fecal material, or both. If the damage is severe enough, a tiny perforation develops in the wall of the pouch. As a result, allowing bacteria to come in and infect the surrounding tissues.
In most cases, the body’s immune system is able to contain the infection, confining it to a small area on the outside of the colon. In other cases, though, the infection enlarges to become an abscess, or it extends to the entire lining of the abdomen. This is a critical complication called peritonitis.
Pain is the major symptom of diverticulitis, as diverticulosis typically occurs in the sigmoid colon. The pain is usually pronounced in the lower left part of the abdomen, but sometimes involve other areas. Fever is also very common with diverticulitis, sometimes accompanied by chills. On men, if the inflamed sigmoid is up against the bladder, a man may develop enough urinary urgency. Also frequency, and discomfort to mimic prostatitis or a bladder infection.
Diverticulitis Treatment:
Since bacteria are responsible for the inflammation, antibiotics are the most prescribed of diverticulitis treatment. And because the colon harbors so many bacterial species, treatment include more than one type of antibiotics. Addressing a broad range of bacteria, including Bacteroides and other anaerobic bacteria that grow without oxygen, E. coli and other aerobic microbes. Further treatment include cortisone to reduce inflammation.
Any other option? Yes!
Orthomolecular medicine focus on treating the causes of diverticula, rather than treating symptoms of already developed diverticulitis. Let’s consider beginning by cleaning the colon. Bowel rest is an important first step to reset diverticulitis. That means sticking to a diet of clear liquids for a few days, then gradually adding soft solids and moving to a more normal diet over a week or two. Individual nutrition tailor made solutions are key on a successful treatment.
Once diverticulitis tends to regress, prevention is always part of the treatment plan. And for people with any form of colonic diverticular disease, that means a proper diet.
Diverticular disease, can you prevent it?
Diverticular disease of the colon can be preventable. An individual nutrition plan, sports and a healthy lifestyle will sharply reduce the risk of developing diverticula. Equally after the pouches form, healthy dietary habits will reduce the risk of developing diverticulitis.
For example, dietary fiber (a mix of complex carbohydrates found in the bran of whole grains and in nuts, seeds, fruits, legumes, and vegetables, but not in any animal foods) is one important nutrient to consider for normal bowel function and general health. Among other benefits, the insoluble fiber found in wheat bran, whole-grain products, and most vegetables draws water into the feces, making the stools bulkier, softer, and easier to pass. Dietary fiber speeds the process of elimination, greatly reducing the likelihood of constipation. However, for many people, fiber can cause bloating and the feeling of being gassy, these are demotivating and frustrating conditions that drive many people away from a diet rich in fiber. This can be mitigated by slowly introducing fiber into the diet and combining it with other foods that will optimize its digestion thus avoiding bloating.
Until recently, nuts, seeds, corn, also rich in fiber and essential fatty acids where banned from the diet of diverticulosis patients as it was believed that these small particles would might pass into the colon undigested and then lodge in a diverticula pouch, blocking it and creating the inflammation. However nowadays it has been found that these seeds have no role into diverticula inflammation, as bacteria is rather the trigger of it.
What say studies ?
Recent studies demonstrate that changes in the intestinal microbiota have been involved in the pathogenesis of symptoms and related diverticulitis. Enteric cells are able to interact with bacteria and discriminate between pathogens and probiotics via different Toll-like receptors expression and nitric oxide production. This different response of enteric cells and the beneficial role of probiotics against gut inflammation could sustain the hypothesis that specific probiotics can influence the modulation of inflammatory responses in Diverticulitis induced by pathogen bacteria. Abdominal pain symptoms are associated with overgrowth of Clostridium cluster IV, and Enterobacteriaceae, with reduced representation of anti-inflammatory effect bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia.
Lactobacillus casei, paracasei and animalis, probiotic strains could be able to modulate colonic microbiota in intestinal chronic inflammation helping its regression and easy on Diverticulitis symptoms.
There is existing evidence on the fecal and mucosa-associated microbiota composition and functionality across different stages of diverticular disease. The influence of risk factors for diverticulosis on gut microbiota composition, and possible treatments of diverticular disease targeting the intestinal microbiome are being nowadays considered.
Any digestive disease requires a holistic, with individual approach as the gastrointestinal tract lies at the intersection of digestive, immune and nervous system health. Gentle exercise is critical for improving wellbeing and managing inflammation, as well as encouraging regular elimination. Managing stress is also an essential part of the equation, given the brain-gut connection. Stress can increase sensations of pain and even trigger flare-ups.
For better health,
Adriana Taralli
Do you need a good probiotic? Buy here !
Naturalize Yourself !
