Symptoms
Most people with pouches have diverticulosis and never notice. When one becomes inflamed, you get steady lower-belly pain (usually left-sided in Western patients, often right-sided in East Asians), fever, and tenderness, sometimes with nausea or a change in bowel habits. A CT scan confirms it. Risk rises with a low-fiber diet, obesity, smoking, and inactivity.
Treatment and prevention
Under current AGA guidance, mild uncomplicated diverticulitis may be managed without antibiotics in selected patients; others get antibiotics and a short liquid diet. Abscess, perforation, or repeated attacks may lead to surgery. The old advice to avoid nuts, seeds, and popcorn didn't hold up in a large study, and a high-fiber diet is linked to lower risk. A colonoscopy afterward may be recommended.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.
FAQ
- Do diverticula go away?
- No, but most never cause trouble.
- Should I avoid seeds and popcorn?
- There's no evidence they cause diverticulitis; a big Harvard study found no added risk.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Peery, A. F., et al. (2021). AGA clinical practice update on medical management of colonic diverticulitis. Gastroenterology, 160(3), 906–911.
- Hall, J., et al. (2020). The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons clinical practice guidelines for the management of left-sided colonic diverticulitis. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, 63(6), 728–747.
- Strate, L. L., et al. (2008). Nut, corn, and popcorn consumption and the incidence of diverticular disease. JAMA, 300(8), 907–914.