Take the Tummy Trouble Quiz Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures Heartburn? Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

Diverticulitis Medical Treatment

Diverticulosis with symptoms is usually treated as follows. This therapy is designed to soften stools and help them pass faster, which removes the conditions that cause diverticula in the first place.

• High-fiber diet: Some health care practitioners recommend a fiber supplement to prevent constipation.
  
  
• Clear fluids
  
  
• Mild pain medications

Treatment for diverticulitis depends on the severity of the condition.

• Simple cases can be treated by a health care practitioner at his or her office.
  
  
• Treatment for uncomplicated cases usually consists of antibiotics and bowel rest. This usually involves two to three days of bowel rest, taking in only clear fluids (no food at all), so the colon may heal without having to work.
  
  
• Complicated cases typically involve severe pain, fever, or bleeding. If an individual has any of these symptoms, he or she will probably be admitted to the hospital. Treatment consists of IV antibiotics, bowel rest, and possibly surgery.