When people have pain or discomfort in their digestive tracts there are several serious diseases that these symptoms may be giving information about. It is always important to make sure if you are having recurring digestive problems, or problems that occur 2 to 3 times per week to see your physician to rule out a serious problem. ( If you are seeing a naturopathic physician or alternative physician you can even successfully reduce or resolve minor digestive complains as well.)
In my previous blogs I have discussed several problems like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), peptic ulcers and well as others. Today I want to discuss diverticulitis. Diverticulitis happens when bacteria get trapped in the pouches. This can lead to inflammation or infection. The symptoms for diverticulitis is lower left side belly pain, gas and bloating, change in bowel habits like diarrhea or constipation, nausea or lack of appetite and sometimes fever or chills. These symptoms may last for a couple hours or up to a week.
These symptoms may go away and then come back on and off for weeks or months. The symptoms are active when the body is experiencing the inflammation or infection. Once the body handles the inflammation or infection the symptoms go away. If the pouch doesn’t resolve as well the symptoms may come back and the problem starts all over again. This can make it hard to realize this is a problem if you experience it off and on. This is where a doctor’s expertise can help you understand what is happening in your body.
Diverticulitis can be diagnosed through your symptoms and blood test or procedures like a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a thin viewing tube that inserted into the colon to see if there is a pouch forming. It is important to get the right diagnosis because in severe cases their might be complications or surgery required, so please do not self treat without seeing a physician. Treatment for diverticulitis is focused on a high-fiber whole food diet. It is important to make sure that high fiber includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts for majority of your food choices. Drinking plenty or water and regular exercise are important too. If a patient has an infection I will add natural antibiotic protocols as well. Be well and stay well.
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's book: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living can be purchased @ www.amazon.com or www.healthydaes.org
Dr. Dae's Bio:
Daemon "Dr. Dae" (pronounced Dr. Day) Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who completed her training at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is certified as a General Practitioner by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Dr. Dae provides tailored treatment to meet the unique needs of every individual she sees in her practice. She also provides specialized support for persons challenged by nutritional deficiencies, weight problems, hormonal and reproductive system disorders, attention deficit disorder and those experiencing chronic diseases. Dr. Dae is an adjunct faculty member for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts. She is the author of Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living, The Healthydaes Newsletter, and is a regularly featured writer for the Elite GoogleNews Website empowher.com where she shares her personal and professional vision for living whole and living well. To learn more about Dr. Dae, her products and services, please visit her on the Web at www.Healthydaes.org