Treatment of Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is the more serious form of diverticular disease. It is already a full-blown inflammation caused by infection by microbes feasting on the semi-digested food and feces trapped in the ‘pouches.’ To treat it, conventional medicine relies mostly on pharmaceutical drugs to fight off the infection and inflammation. But it is important to remember that diverticular disease can not be totally cured. The inflammation and infection may be stopped, but the “pouches” will still be there. It is like the scar which remains after a deep wound heals. The best that can be done then is to manage the condition. This will help prevent the diverticulitis attack from happening again. It will also help the patient to live a more comfortable and stress-free life.

Conventional treatment commonly uses the following kinds of the drug:

1. A broad-spectrum antibiotic to kill many different types of microorganisms. The doctor prefers an antibiotic that is poorly absorbed from the intestines into the blood. This is important so that the drug stays inside the bowels where it is needed and not affect the other organs of the body.
2. An anti-inflammatory drug which can reduce the swelling and inflammation of the bowel.
3. Painkillers – to reduce the pain experienced by the patient.

There are numerous drugs that fall under the groups classified above to serve the same purpose. These are chosen depending on the doctor’s choice and experience.

But almost all of these drugs, however, can cause undesired side-effects mostly to the liver and kidneys. These are organs mostly used by the body to process and eliminate chemicals (like drugs are) so these are usually the most affected. These drugs can also upset your stomach and increase the danger of internal bleeding.

Antibiotics also kill off the good bacteria in the intestines while the bad ones remain and take control. This will upset the delicate balance of bowel health and cause further illness.

The most serious cases of diverticulitis require hospitalization and possible surgery. Doctors would have to cut away parts of the affected bowel. The surgery itself is a big risk, especially for patients who are already weak or the elderly. This should be the least option and be avoided as much as possible.

In contrast, alternative natural therapy has a different principle. It aims to address the root cause/s while helping the body to strengthen itself so it can help to stop the disease. It uses traditionally used herbs and other natural ingredients like activated charcoal to prevent the disease from getting worse. A protocol developed by Dr. Cobb can also be adapted to treat diverticulitis. The protocol is based on healing “diseased” arteries through daily doses of multi-vitamins and other natural health supplements which are the raw building block of collagen tissues. Collagen is an essential component of body repair.

Consuming healthy non-fatty food will help prevent waste by-products from building-up and getting trapped inside the intestines. So there will be less chance for inflammation to develop. Crucial to this healing method is having a healthy vegetable-based diet and avoiding processed-food can reduce the symptoms. A liquid or pureed diet will supply the body with rich nutrients while giving the bowels the time to heal.