Patient education: Diverticulitis (The Basics)

What is diverticulitis? — 

This is a disorder that can cause belly pain, fever, and problems with bowel movements.

The food we eat travels from the stomach through a long tube called the intestine. The last part of that tube is the colon. The colon sometimes has small pouches in its walls. These pouches are called "diverticula." Many people who have these pouches have no symptoms. Diverticulitis happens when these pouches get inflamed or develop a small tear known as a "microperforation," which then becomes infected and causes symptoms (figure 1).

What are the symptoms of diverticulitis? — 

The most common symptom is pain, usually in the lower part of the belly.

Other symptoms can include:

●Fever

●Constipation

●Diarrhea

●Nausea and vomiting

Is there a test for diverticulitis? — 

Yes, there are a few. But not everybody needs tests.

You might get a blood test. You might also get a:

●CT scan – This is a kind of imaging test. It creates pictures of the inside of the body.

●Abdominal ultrasound – This uses sound waves to create pictures of the intestines.

How is diverticulitis treated? — 

If your disease is mild and you are otherwise healthy, you might do home treatment. This usually involves a liquid diet and pain medicine. If you do this, follow up with your doctor or nurse to make sure your symptoms improve.

If you have severe disease, you are not in good health, or your symptoms don't get better in 2 to 3 days, you might need treatment in the hospital. There, you will probably get fluids and antibiotics through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV." This way, you can avoid eating and drinking until you get better.

In addition, if you have a serious infection, the doctor might put a tube into your belly to drain the infection. If your condition is really bad, you might need surgery to remove the part of your colon that is affected. This is based on how severe your symptoms are, not how frequently they happen.

A few months after your infection has been treated, your doctor might recommend you have a procedure called a "colonoscopy" (figure 2). During a colonoscopy, the doctor can look directly inside your colon to check for signs of cancer. (Sometimes, colon cancer can look similar to diverticulitis on a CT scan.)

Should I change my diet if I had diverticulitis? — 

If you had diverticulitis, it's a good idea to eat a healthy diet that includes a lot of fiber after your symptoms have gotten better. Good sources of fiber include fruits, oats, beans, peas, and green leafy vegetables. You do not need to avoid seeds, nuts, popcorn, or other similar foods.

Follow all your doctor's or nurse's instructions about diet while they are treating you for diverticulitis.

More on this topic

Patient education: Diverticulitis – Discharge instructions (The Basics)
Patient education: Diverticulosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Abdominal ultrasound (The Basics)
Patient education: Small bowel resection (The Basics)
Patient education: High-fiber diet (The Basics)

Patient education: Diverticular disease (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: High-fiber diet (Beyond the Basics)