Q: What is good to take for diverticulitis?
A: First, a quick anatomy lesson. You have three layers in the walls of your intestines. Where there's a little break between muscles, feces can squeeze into the gap and become as hard as clay. When that happens, the small out-pouches (they look a little like small thumbs poking out of the side of the colon) can get inflamed and cause diverticulitis. It usually occurs when the colon wall has to squeeze too hard to move feces along, which is an indication of too little fiber in the diet. While your waste exits your body through the rectum when you relax your sphincter muscles, preparing waste for the toilet bowl is really a function of your intestines, and the end product of it all proves a good glimpse into your intestinal health. Your best strategy: You should never strain when you're on the toilet. If you are, take a stool softener and more water. Prunes also work well, as do magnesium pills if you do not have kidney disease. Also look in the toilet bowl. If your caca is not shaped like an S (three or more inches long) and comes out in big pieces, you need more water and more fiber in your diet.
|
