Introduction to Remedies for Diverticular Disease
As you get older, the risk of developing a diverticular disease grows. Even the most minor colon concerns can be uncomfortable, and they can develop into something much more serious. Yet they are treatable with certain home remedies you can find right at home. Here we'll learn about the diverticular diseases that affect the colon and how to treat the most minor of them with home remedies from your kitchen.Preventing Problems
Diverticulosis is a common condition in which small pouches, called diverticula, develop in the colon. It happens when the inner lining of the large intestine is forced, under pressure, through weak spots in the outer layer of the colon. No one is sure what causes diverticulosis, but a low-fiber diet and lack of exercise have been shown to put you at greater risk. The diverticular pouches are present in about 50 percent of people over age 60, and they themselves are not much of a problem. However, when a food particle or piece of waste material lodges in the pouches, it can become inflamed and cause a more serious illness called diverticulitis. Diverticulitis can range from a mild infection to a severe one requiring hospitalization and even surgery.
 ©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Patients with diverticulosis and diverticulitis can benefit from home remedies like pears. |
Diverticulosis usually causes no symptoms. Most people won't even know they have the condition unless it has shown up on a routine colonoscopy or developed into diverticulitis. But diverticulitis does have symptoms, including:
- Abdominal cramping, usually more severe on the lower left side
- Abdominal pain triggered by touch
- Nausea
- Gas, belching, bloating
- Fever
- Diarrhea, constipation, or very thin stools
- Blood in the stools
- General feeling of being tired or run-down
Diverticula don't go away. Once you have them, you're stuck with them. It's a good idea to adjust your lifestyle to avoid flare-ups. For mild symptoms, there's relief to be found in the kitchen.
There are a number of home remedies that can hep soothe your digestive tract. We'll take a look at them in the next section.
For more information about diseases similiar to diverticular disease and diverticulosis, try the following links:
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- Learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and how to care for it in Home Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- Crohn's Disease is another uncomfortable disease of the colon. Read about it in Crohn's Disease.
- Did you eat too much, or is a sign of something more serious? Learn more in Home Remedies for Constipation.
Home Remedy Treatments for Diverticular Disease
The home remedies found below should be helpful when dealing with an obstacle in your digestive system. You can find these home remedies in your kitchen, and relief will be swift in coming.Warning! The following are to help prevent the development of diverticulitis or to ease the mildest of symptoms. For all other symptoms, see a doctor!
From the Home Remedies Cupboard
Barley. This grain is a digestive anti-inflammatory. Add some to vegetable soup or stew. Or buy some barley flour, flakes, and grits.
Brown rice. It's easy on the digestive system, rich in fiber, and calms inflammation and spasms in the colon. Eat it plain or as a dessert with a little honey, mix it with vegetables for a stir-fry, try it in the morning as a breakfast food instead of oatmeal, or boil it for a tea and drink the liquid in addition to eating the rice. There are no limits to the ways you can serve up brown rice.
Garlic. This can help prevent infection. Eat 1 clove, three times a day. Chop it into a salad, or add it to soup or stew. (To retain its effectiveness, add the raw garlic after food is cooked, because heat can destroy the medicinal benefits.) Pasta sauce, however, is not a good choice for adding garlic, as tomato-based, spicy, and acidic foods can exacerbate symptoms.
 ©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Diverticular disease can be aggravated by stress. Sometimes a nice bath is a good remedy. |
Papaya. This soothes diverticulitis. Find a nice, ripe, red-tinged papaya, cut it open, toss away the seeds, and eat. Use it in a fruit salad; it's especially good with melons. Or put it in the blender and make juice. Add a little honey to sweeten it up, if necessary. Papaya has an unusual but enjoyable flavor.
Pear. Another fruit that can soothe inflammation, pears don't need any doctoring to eat. Simply find one that's ripe and enjoy.
Potatoes. They're tasty and nourishing, and they have soothing, anti-inflammatory properties that are especially good for digestive woes. Because grease can aggravate diverticulitis, avoid fried potatoes of any sort. But any other cooking method will do: baking, broiling, or boiling.
Do Remember
- Exercise. Everything in your body works better, including your digestive tract, when you exercise.
- Skip the caffeine. It can cause digestive upset.
- DON'T rush things. It takes time for your bowels to move, so allow sufficient time.
- Cut back on red meats. They weaken the wall of the colon, which is where the pouches in diverticulosis start.
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- Learn more about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and how to care for it in Home Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- Crohn's Disease is another uncomfortable disease of the colon. Read about it in Crohn's Disease.
- Did you eat too much, or is a sign of something more serious? Learn more in Home Remedies for Constipation.
Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.
Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.
Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.
Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.
ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
