Coping with Diverticulitis

Download or read book Coping with Diverticulitis written by Peter Cartwright and published by Sheldon Press. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A major step in patient education and participation in the management of diverticulitis' - Professor Frank A. Frizelle Diverticular disease (DD) is a digestive disorder caused by enflamed diverticula, or pouches, in the colon. A common cause is constipation due to lack of fibre in the diet. Diverticulitis is very common, with about 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK and 300,000 in the USA. Symptoms are usually persistent abdominal pain plus disturbed bowel function (constipation or diarrhoea or alternating between the two). Diverticulitis sometimes becomes very severe leading to perforation of the bowel, forming an abscess or rarely peritonitis. This best-selling book looks at the treatment and self-management of DD - while the doctor can help, particularly with antibiotics, much can be done by the individual to minimise the effects of this condition. Topics include: The medical treatment of diverticular disease Probiotics ('good' or 'friendly' live bacteria and yeasts said to be good for digestive health The increase of diverticular disease in the population Effects of diverticular disease