Questions and Answers
You don't mention that your husband is under professional medical care ... if not he would be well advised to visit his physician as soon as possible. Diverticulitis develops when particles of undigested food or stool become trapped in a diverticula or small pouch in the colon ... the pouch then becomes inflamed and/or infected causing the pain your husband is experiencing ... usually the infection remains localised, but it is possible for bacteria to break through the colon wall and cause inflammation of the membrane that covers the abdominal organs ... this condition, known as peritonitis, can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
Treatment varies ... for a mild condition, the physician may prescribe only bed rest, a liquid diet, painkillers and oral antibiotic/s to combat any infection ... in some cases, patients may need hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics ... in more severe cases, surgery may be needed to remove the infected part of the colon and the healthy ends rejoined. While most people recover without surgery, if the inflammation extends throughout the abdomen causing peritonitis,surgery is almost always required.
Current belief is that the incidence and symptomology can be reduced by
consuming a high-fibre diet ... the rational is that insoluble fibre, when
taken with adequate amounts of water, causes stool to become larger, softer
and easier to pass ... recurrence or worsening of symptoms is cause for a
visit to the physician. Fibre intake should be increased gradually to give
the digestive tract time to adjust to the change ... this helps to prevent
diarrhea, discomfort and flatulance ... the day's fibre goal should not be
consumed at one meal and it may take several months to reach peak amount of
fibre ... fibre absorbs water from the bowel - without adequate amount of
fluid, constipation could occur.
Hope this has been of some help.
Best wishes to you and your husband.