Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Diverticulitiscan cause irregular stools, alternating between diarrhea and constipation, along with unusually strong-smelling and/or bright red, maroon, or tarry stools.Diverticulitisis caused when abnormal pouches, calleddiverticula, form in the intestine and become inflamed due to infection or lifestyle factors such asobesity.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of diverticulitis, including abnormal bowel movements and stool, can help you seek early diagnosis and treatment of a condition that contributes to over 2.7 million outpatient visits every year in the United States.

An illustration with information about what does diverticulitis stool look like

Diverticulosisdescribes the formation of diverticula without inflammation, a condition that is often entirelyasymptomatic(without symptoms). By contrast, diverticulitis occurs when the pouches become inflamed due to infection, ill health, or other causes. It leads to symptoms like:

In addition to physical symptoms, there will also be visible changes in stools due to alternating constipation and diarrhea. Diverticular bleeding due tostrainingor when hardened stools scrape against the wall of the pouches can also lead to abnormal stools.

Diverticulitis can also cause gradual narrowing of the intestine, known as astricture, which can affect the shape of stools.

When to Seek Immediate CareWhether or not you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulitis, you should seek immediate medical care if you experience the following signs or symptoms:Rectal bleeding, blood in stools, or tarry stoolsFever over 100.4 FNausea and vomitingSudden, severe, or worsening belly or back pain

When to Seek Immediate Care

Whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulitis, you should seek immediate medical care if you experience the following signs or symptoms:Rectal bleeding, blood in stools, or tarry stoolsFever over 100.4 FNausea and vomitingSudden, severe, or worsening belly or back pain

Whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulitis, you should seek immediate medical care if you experience the following signs or symptoms:

Complications

Between 15% and 20% of people with diverticulitis will develop complications, some of which may be severe and even life-threatening.

These include complications like:

Diverticulitis starts as diverticulosis, a condition largely associated with a low-fiber diet. People who eat a low-fiber diet are prone to constipation, which can cause the impaction of stools and lead to abnormal stretching of the intestine.

Over time, this can lead to the formation of diverticula, most often in the lower part of the colon known as thesigmoid colon.

Other factors can contribute to diverticulosis, including a family history of the disease and heavy red meat consumption. Diverticulosis is more often seen in adults over 40.

How Diverticulosis Become Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis occurs when the diverticula becomes inflamed.Inflammationis the body’s natural response to any infection, disease, or injury that causes the body harm. With diverticulitis, the onset of inflammation may occur when:

Other risk factors for diverticulitis include:

To confirm the diagnosis, the healthcare provider may order the following tests and procedures:

Antibiotics

Options include antibiotics like:

Dietary Changes

To aid with healing and prevent a recurrence, providers will commonly recommend aclear liquid dietto start with, transitioning to alow-fiber dietconsisting of foods like applesauce, well-cooked vegetables, milk, yogurt, eggs, oatmeal, ground lean poultry or meat, pasta, white bread, and white rice.

Once ample healing has occurred, increasing amounts ofdietary fiberwill be added to the diet to keep stools soft and bowel movements regular.

These includehigh-fiber foodslike:

Between 20 and 35 grams of fiber are recommended daily from foods such as grains, vegetables, and fruits. Drinking ample fluids (around eight 8-ounce glasses per day) helps keep stool softer and easier to pass.

Surgery

Examples include:

Summary

Diverticulitis can affect bowel movements, causing alternating diarrhea and constipation, and lead to changes in the color, consistency, and smell of stools. This includes watery stools, soft “pencil stools,” hard pellet stools, mucus in stools, and bright red, maroon, or tarry stools. The stools may also be foul-smelling.

Diverticulitis can be diagnosed with an abdominal CT scan and blood tests. The treatment may involve antibiotics and a change in diet to help the intestine heal and prevent a recurrence. Surgery may be needed in severe cases.

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service (UK).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Morris AM.Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of diverticulitis.Gastroenterology. 2019 Jan 17;156(5):1282–1298.e1. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.033Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Germany).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis: overview.University of Colorado.Diverticulitis and diverticulosis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulitis.Harvard Health.Diverticular disease of the colon.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.University of California San Francisco.Diverticular disease and diet.Harvard Health.Foods high in fiber: boost your health with fiber-rich foods.Neal JA.Surgical management of diverticular disease in the elective setting.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2018 Jun 22;31(4):236–242. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1607962Cirrochi R, Sapienza P, Anania G, et al.State-of-the-art surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2021 Sep 23;407(1):1–14. doi:10.1007/s00423-021-02288-5

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service (UK).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Morris AM.Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of diverticulitis.Gastroenterology. 2019 Jan 17;156(5):1282–1298.e1. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.033Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Germany).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis: overview.University of Colorado.Diverticulitis and diverticulosis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulitis.Harvard Health.Diverticular disease of the colon.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.University of California San Francisco.Diverticular disease and diet.Harvard Health.Foods high in fiber: boost your health with fiber-rich foods.Neal JA.Surgical management of diverticular disease in the elective setting.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2018 Jun 22;31(4):236–242. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1607962Cirrochi R, Sapienza P, Anania G, et al.State-of-the-art surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2021 Sep 23;407(1):1–14. doi:10.1007/s00423-021-02288-5

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Health Service (UK).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.Strate LL, Morris AM.Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of diverticulitis.Gastroenterology. 2019 Jan 17;156(5):1282–1298.e1. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.033Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Germany).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis: overview.University of Colorado.Diverticulitis and diverticulosis.MedlinePlus.Diverticulitis.Harvard Health.Diverticular disease of the colon.International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.University of California San Francisco.Diverticular disease and diet.Harvard Health.Foods high in fiber: boost your health with fiber-rich foods.Neal JA.Surgical management of diverticular disease in the elective setting.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2018 Jun 22;31(4):236–242. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1607962Cirrochi R, Sapienza P, Anania G, et al.State-of-the-art surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2021 Sep 23;407(1):1–14. doi:10.1007/s00423-021-02288-5

National Health Service (UK).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis.

Strate LL, Morris AM.Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of diverticulitis.Gastroenterology. 2019 Jan 17;156(5):1282–1298.e1. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2018.12.033

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Germany).Diverticular disease and diverticulitis: overview.

University of Colorado.Diverticulitis and diverticulosis.

MedlinePlus.Diverticulitis.

Harvard Health.Diverticular disease of the colon.

International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

University of California San Francisco.Diverticular disease and diet.

Harvard Health.Foods high in fiber: boost your health with fiber-rich foods.

Neal JA.Surgical management of diverticular disease in the elective setting.Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2018 Jun 22;31(4):236–242. doi:10.1055/s-0037-1607962

Cirrochi R, Sapienza P, Anania G, et al.State-of-the-art surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2021 Sep 23;407(1):1–14. doi:10.1007/s00423-021-02288-5

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?