Diverticulitis is a condition that arises out of another disease called diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is a condition that typically happens in the large intestine or colon. Typically, the condition is noticeable by the growth of mucus-filled pockets, diverticula, in areas where the colonic pressure is the greatest. This condition usually occurs where the colon meets the rectum, as this is the narrowest part of the colon. This condition is usually asymptomatic with few people complaining of little more than a light pain and intestinal spasms. However, once diverticulosis occurs, it is usually a matter of time before the inflammation of the diverticula occurs and this is when Diverticulitis occurs.
When food or feces are stuck in the diverticula or pockets that grow in the colon, infection and inflammation soon follow. Going back through the sequence of events, the condition really begins due to a low fiber diet, which causes the anhydrate feces to be stuck in the diverticula. Feces are generally water-rich and this is the reason why we can defecate with ease. If feces were dry, then passing stools would be difficult, painful and require a great deal of pressure to excrete. This is exactly the reason for constipation to develop. Additionally, diverticulosis is also caused by a non-vegetarian diet and age. It can further be ascertained that the continuing causes for the development of diverticula are the causes that progress diverticulosis to Diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis being an inflammation with a causative factor in bacteria, it requires to be treated with fasting or at least a complete stop on orally ingested food. Antibiotics also need to be administered to remove all the bacteria from the colon. A low-fiber diet is then given to the patient until the colon recovers and then the final transition to a high fiber diet is made. In very severe cases, Diverticulitis could also cause a perforation in the colon, which could cause contents to leak into the peritoneum. This is a cavity where the entire digestive system sits and any inflammation here will have to be treated with surgery.
Treatment and Home Remedy
The first treatment that you have to undergo at home is to stay off food for the period until your doctor says that you can start eating solid food. During this time, you should get as much sleep as possible. When you can start off on food, low fiber foods like rice and white breads with soup should be the only things filling your stomach. When you can restart on fiber, you must revert to a wholly vegetarian diet as being vegetarian will stop the condition occurring again.