What happens if you have diverticulitis

What is the best treatment for diverticulitis? Your doctor may recommend oral antibiotics, pain relievers, and a liquid diet until your bowel heals.

Slowly increasing your fiber intake can also improve symptoms. Severe or complicated diverticulitis may require hospitalization or surgery to treat an abscess, repair a rupture in the bowel wall, or remove diseased parts of the intestines. What drinks should you avoid with diverticulitis? Drinking plenty of fluids can soften your stool, making it easier to pass.

Aim for 6 to 8 cups of fluid per day. This can include water, tea, coffee, and fruit juice. Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause bloating or gas and worsen symptoms of diverticulitis. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of diverticulitis, the Mayo Clinic notes that your doctor will likely take the following actions: 10 Gather information about your full medical history, including preexisting conditions and risk factors.

Examine your abdomen to check for tenderness. Perform a rectal exam to check for rectal bleeding. Perform a blood test to check your white blood cells and determine if you have an infection. Order a diagnostic test to get a picture of your colon and determine if diverticula are present and whether they are inflamed or infected.

These are the most common tests used to diagnose diverticulitis : 10 CT Scan A CT scan uses both X-rays and computer technology to create three-dimensional images of your colon.

Prognosis of Diverticulitis While some people with diverticulitis will require surgery, many can be treated at home. You are unable to take oral fluids. You have other existing health conditions.

The inflammation or infection you are experiencing is particularly severe. Medication Options According to the Mayo Clinic, in addition to a clear liquid diet , you may be prescribed these drugs: 12 Antibiotics Over-the-counter OTC pain relievers These broad-spectrum antibiotics are commonly used: 11 Metronidazole Flagyl Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim Bactrim, Septra Ciprofloxacin Cipro Amoxicillin and clavulanate Augmentin OTC pain relievers used to treat diverticulitis include Tylenol acetaminophen.

Diet Options Usually, a clear liquid diet is required to treat diverticulitis, notes the Mayo Clinic. Alternative and Complementary Therapies Some doctors recommend complementary supplements, such as glutamine an amino acid that aids in digestion , fish oil high in omega-3 fatty acids , flaxseed , and probiotics which help maintain intestinal health , according to an article published in the January-March issue of the Annals of Gastroenterology.

Prevention of Diverticulitis To help prevent diverticulitis , research suggests that getting enough fiber in your diet can help reduce the strain on the colon and prevent diverticula from forming and then becoming inflamed, according to MedlinePlus.

Left untreated, diverticulitis can lead to life-threatening illness. How Diverticulitis Can Affect the Sigmoid Colon During the digestive process, the colon also called the large intestine or large bowel is responsible for absorbing liquid from food and breaking down any remaining material to move it to the rectum. To keep your sigmoid colon healthy, take the same steps you would to prevent diverticulitis in the first place: 5 Exercise regularly.

Get enough fiber in your diet. Stay hydrated. Black Americans and Diverticulitis According to research published in January in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology , there were about 30 hospitalizations for diverticulitis per , Black Americans between and Colorectal Cancer After hospitalization for diverticular disease, the risk for colorectal cancer , which affects the colon and rectum, may be elevated, according to an article published in October in the World Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Favorite Resource for Telemedicine Gastroenterology. Favorite Site for Online Support Diverticulitis Support Group Diverticulitis can be overwhelming and frustrating, so there's comfort in knowing you're not alone with this illness. Favorite App for Tracking Diverticulitis Foodility If you have recurrent diverticulitis flares, monitoring what you eat can help pinpoint certain patterns. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. Marinella MA, Mustafa M. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

March Definition and Facts for Diverticular Disease. May Symptoms and Causes of Diverticular Disease. Diverticular Disease Expanded Version. American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

Diverticulitis: Symptoms and Causes. May 7, Harvard Health Publishing. December Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 14, October 9, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. April 18, Salzman H, Lillie D.

Diverticular Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment. American Family Physician. October Diverticulitis: Diagnosis and Treatment. Diverticulitis Diet. October 11, Management of Diverticular Hemorrhage. Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery. August Elisei W, Tursi A. Annals of Gastroenterology.

January-March Diverticular Disease. Penn State Hershey. Diverticulosis occurs when small, bulging pouches diverticula develop in your digestive tract. When one or more of these pouches become inflamed or infected, the condition is called diverticulitis. Diverticula are small, bulging pouches that can form in the lining of your digestive system. They are found most often in the lower part of the large intestine colon.

Diverticula are common, especially after age 40, and seldom cause problems. The presence of diverticula is known as diverticulosis die-vur-tik-yoo-LOE-sis. When one or more of the pouches become inflamed, and in some cases infected, that condition is known as diverticulitis die-vur-tik-yoo-LIE-tis. Diverticulitis can cause severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea and a marked change in your bowel habits. Mild diverticulitis can be treated with rest, changes in your diet and antibiotics.

Severe or recurring diverticulitis may require surgery. Get medical attention anytime you have constant, unexplained abdominal pain, particularly if you also have a fever and constipation or diarrhea. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Subscribe for free and receive your in-depth guide to digestive health, plus the latest on health innovations and news.

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If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. A blocked colon can sometimes be treated with bowel rest. You are not given anything to eat but instead receive fluids and nutrients through a tube connected to a vein.

Suction through a tube placed in the nose and down into the stomach may be needed to keep the stomach emptied of digestive juices. After 2 to 3 days of bowel rest, you are given something to eat. If the obstruction has cleared up, no surgery is needed. If the obstruction remains, bowel rest may be continued. If repeated periods of bowel rest fail to clear up the obstruction, surgery to remove the diseased part of the colon may be considered.

Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.

Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Diverticulitis. Top of the page. Topic Overview What is diverticulitis? What causes diverticulitis? What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of diverticulitis may last from a few hours to a week or more. Symptoms include: Belly pain, usually in the lower left side, that is sometimes worse when you move.

This is the most common symptom. Fever and chills. Bloating and gas. Diarrhea or constipation. Nausea and sometimes vomiting. Not feeling like eating. How is diverticulitis diagnosed? Tests may include: Blood tests, such as a complete blood count CBC. Other tests, such as an X-ray or a CT scan. How is it treated? For mild cramps and belly pain: Use a heating pad, set on low, on your belly.

For example, try meditation or slow, deep breathing in a quiet room. Take medicine, such as acetaminophen Tylenol, for example. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. How can you prevent diverticulitis? Cause Doctors aren't sure what causes diverticulitis. Symptoms Symptoms of diverticulitis may last from a few hours to several days.

These symptoms may include: Tenderness, cramps, or pain in the abdomen usually in the lower left side but may occur on the right that is sometimes worse when you move. A bloated feeling, abdominal swelling, or gas. Loss of appetite. What Happens Diverticulitis occurs when pouches diverticula that have developed in the wall of the large intestine colon become inflamed or infected. What Increases Your Risk The possibility of having diverticulitis increases with age. You may be more likely to develop diverticulitis if you: Eat a low-fiber diet.

Have a family history of diverticulosis. Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs or aspirin regularly more than 4 days a week for many years.

When should you call your doctor? Call your doctor immediately if you have pain in the abdomen that is in one spot as opposed to general pain in the abdomen , especially if you also have: Fever or chills.

Nausea and vomiting. Unusual changes in your bowel movements or abdominal swelling. Blood in your stool. Pain that is worse when you move. Burning pain when you urinate. Abnormal vaginal discharge. Call your doctor immediately if you have: Severe pain in the abdomen that is getting worse. Pain in the abdomen that becomes worse when you move or cough.

A stool that is mostly blood more than a few streaks of blood on the stool. Blood in the stool may appear as reddish or maroon-colored liquid or clots or may produce a black stool that looks like tar. Passed gas or stool from your urethra while urinating. This likely means that you have an opening fistula between the bowel and the urinary tract. Call your doctor if you: Have cramping pain that does not get better when you have a bowel movement or pass gas.

Have rectal bleeding, a change in bowel habits, and you have been losing weight without trying. Call your doctor if you are treating mild diverticulitis at home and: You have a fever. Your pain is getting worse. You can't keep down liquids. You are not better after 3 days. Watchful waiting It is not uncommon to have bloating, gas pressure, or mild abdominal belly pain. Who to see Health professionals who can diagnose and prescribe treatment for diverticulitis include: Family medicine physician , general practitioner , or other primary care doctor.

Physician assistant. Nurse practitioner. If further tests are needed, if your symptoms do not respond to treatment, or if you may need surgery, your doctor may refer you to a: Gastroenterologist.

Exams and Tests Your doctor will take a history and do a physical exam if diverticulitis is suspected. Routine tests These tests may be done any time you see your doctor about abdominal pain or other symptoms. Complete blood count CBC may show if you have an infection or if you have too few red blood cells in your blood, possibly because of bleeding in the colon. Urinalysis may show you have a urinary tract infection.

Abdominal X-ray may provide clues about the cause of abdominal pain and other symptoms. The digital rectal exam looks for tenderness or a mass in the lower pelvic area. The fecal occult blood test looks for blood in your stool. Tests done as needed Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may want to do one or more of these tests. A computed tomography CT scan may be done if symptoms suggest you have a pocket of infection abscess in your abdomen or that a pouch diverticulum has burst.

The scan also can reveal other possible causes of your symptoms. A barium enema X-ray may be used to show diverticula or other possible causes of your symptoms. But a barium enema X-ray usually is not done while you are having an attack of diverticulitis because of the risk that the barium might spill into the peritoneum the lining of the abdominal cavity if you have a perforation.

A material that performs a function similar to barium but that can dissolve in water water-soluble contrast may be used instead. Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy may be used if your main symptom is bleeding from the intestine. These tests also may be done to look for narrow spots or growths in the intestine and to rule out ulcerative colitis or cancer.