Health Topic

Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Diverticulosis is a condition in which you have small pouches in your colon. If the pouches get inflamed or infected, it's called diverticulitis. Learn more.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Diverticular disease

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Diverticula are small pouches, or sacs, that bulge outward through weak spots in your colon. They mostly form in the lower part of the colon. Diverticulosis is a condition in which you have these pouches. Most people who have diverticulosis do not have symptoms or problems. But sometimes the pouches can cause symptoms or become inflamed.

Diverticulitis is the name for the condition you have when one or more of the pouches get inflamed. Diverticulitis may come on suddenly. It can sometimes cause serious health problems.

Diverticular disease is a condition that happens when the pouches cause:

  • Chronic (long-term) symptoms
  • Diverticular bleeding
  • Diverticulitis or diverticulitis complications

Researchers aren't sure what causes diverticulosis and diverticulitis. They think certain factors may play a role in causing or increasing the risk for these conditions, including:

  • Your genetics. Certain genes may make some people more likely to develop the conditions.
  • Lifestyle factors such as: Diets low in fiber and high in red meat
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Taking certain medicines, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids
  • Having obesity
  • Smoking

Researchers are also looking at other possible factors that may play a role in these conditions. Those factors include bacteria or stool (poop) getting caught in a pouch in your colon and changes in the microbiome in the intestines. Your microbiome is made up of the bacteria and other organisms in your intestines.

Diverticulosis is common, especially as people age. More than one-third of U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 59 have diverticulosis. More than two-thirds who are over age 80 have it. Most of those people will not have symptoms or problems. But some of them will develop diverticulitis.

Diverticulosis usually doesn't cause symptoms. But some people can have chronic symptoms such as:

  • Bloating
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Cramping or pain in the lower abdomen (belly)

Diverticulitis may cause acute symptoms such as:

  • Abdominal pain, most often in the lower left side of your abdomen
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Fevers and chills
  • Nausea or vomiting

The pain caused by diverticulitis is usually severe and comes on suddenly. Less often, the pain may be mild and worsen over several days.

Some people with diverticulosis and diverticulitis may develop serious health problems (complications). Diverticular bleeding happens when a small blood vessel within the wall of a pouch bursts. The bleeding may be severe and sometimes even life-threatening.

People with diverticulitis can also develop serious problems such as:

  • Abscess, a painful, swollen, pus-filled area caused by infection
  • Fistula, an abnormal opening or passage between the colon and another part of the body, such as the bladder or vagina
  • Intestinal obstruction, a partial or total blockage that keeps food, fluids, air, or stool from moving through your intestines
  • Perforation, or a hole, in your colon
  • Peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity

Diverticulosis may be found when your health care provider is doing tests for another reason. Diverticulitis is usually found when you are having an acute attack.

To make a diagnosis, your provider will review your medical history, do a physical exam, and order tests. The tests may include:

  • Blood tests
  • Stool tests
  • Imaging tests such as CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI
  • Colonoscopy

If your diverticulosis is causing chronic symptoms, your provider may recommend:

  • High-fiber foods or fiber supplements
  • Antibiotics
  • Medicines to reduce inflammation
  • Probiotics

If you have diverticulitis without complications, your provider may recommend treatment at home. However, you probably need treatment in the hospital if you have severe diverticulitis, diverticulitis with complications, or a high risk for complications.

Treatments for diverticulitis may include:

  • Antibiotics, except for very mild cases.
  • A clear liquid diet for a short time to rest the colon. Your provider may suggest slowly adding solid foods to your diet as your symptoms improve.
  • Medicines for pain. This is usually acetaminophen instead of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs may increase the chance of diverticulitis complications.
  • Antispasmodic medicines to relieve spasms.

If your diverticulitis doesn't improve with treatment or if it causes complications, you may need surgery to remove part of your colon.

Your provider may recommend lifestyle changes to prevent diverticulitis:

  • Eating a diet high in fiber and low in red meat
  • Being physically active on a regular basis
  • Not smoking (and quitting smoking if you are a smoker)
  • Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight

It sits within Digestive System.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

33 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Living With

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Diverticulum, Colon, Diverticulitis, Colonic, Diverticular Diseases, Diverticulosis, Colonic. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.