Patient education: Diverticulosis (The Basics)

What is diverticulosis? — Diverticulosis is a condition where you have small balloon-like pouches in the walls of your colon.

The food you eat travels from the stomach through a long tube called the intestine. The last part of that tube is the large intestine, or colon. The colon sometimes has small pouches in its walls. These pouches are called "diverticula" (figure 1). They form when a part of the colon wall is weak and you strain to have a bowel movement. Diverticula do not go away on their own.

Diverticulosis is more common as a person gets older.

What are the symptoms of diverticulosis? — Most people with diverticulosis do not have symptoms. Others have bloating, constipation, or belly cramps.

Some people with diverticulosis also have something called "diverticulitis." This happens when the pouches in the colon become infected. Diverticulitis can cause symptoms like pain in the lower belly. Some people have nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea.

Will I need tests? — Diverticulosis is often found during a colonoscopy or other tests done for other reasons. Diverticulitis is often found during tests to look for causes of belly pain.

●Colonoscopy – This is a test that lets a doctor look at the inside of your entire colon. They put a thin, flexible tube into your anus and up into your colon. The tube has a camera and light on the end so the doctor can look at the inside lining of the colon.

●Flexible sigmoidoscopy – This is very similar to a colonoscopy. The only difference is that this test looks only at the first part of the colon, and a colonoscopy looks at the whole colon.

●CT scan – A CT scan is a kind of imaging test. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.

How is diverticulosis treated? — Most often, people with diverticulosis do not need treatment. Your doctor might suggest that you add more fiber to your diet. This will help add to the amount of stool (bowel movements) your body makes. It might also help keep new diverticula from forming.

Antibiotics are only used to treat diverticulitis in some people.

Should I change my diet if I have diverticulosis? — It's a good idea to add more fiber to your diet. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains that contain fiber (figure 2). The fiber content of packaged foods can be calculated by reading the nutrition label (figure 3).

You do not need to avoid seeds, corn, or nuts. These foods do not increase your risk of diverticulitis.

Is there anything else I can do to feel better? — Yes. It can help to try to prevent constipation. To do this:

●Do not delay having a bowel movement. Go as soon as you have the urge.

●Drink plenty of water to help keep your bowel movements soft. (Do this only if your doctor or nurse has not told you to limit the amount of water you drink.)

●Get regular physical activity. Walk, garden, or do something active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week.

●Talk with your doctor about adding an over-the-counter fiber product. This can help keep your stools soft.

●Limit how much pain medicine you take. Some pain medicines can cause hard stools.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if:

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.

●Your belly pain is getting worse or is severe.

●You vomit blood or something that looks like coffee grounds.

●Your bowel movements look black or dark red, or have blood in them.

●You have changes in how often or how hard or soft your bowel movements are.

More on this topic

Patient education: Diverticulitis (The Basics)
Patient education: Stomach ache and stomach upset (The Basics)
Patient education: Diarrhea in teens and adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Constipation in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Colonoscopy (The Basics)
Patient education: High-fiber diet (The Basics)

Patient education: Diverticular disease (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Diarrhea in teens and adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Constipation in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood in the stool (rectal bleeding) in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Colonoscopy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Flexible sigmoidoscopy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: High-fiber diet (Beyond the Basics)