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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. Diverticular disease and a mild attack of diverticulitis can be assessed and treated by video; severe pain, bleeding or signs of a complication need a hospital.
- What it is: diverticula are small pouches in the wall of the large bowel. Diverticulitis is when they become inflamed or infected.
- How common: pouches become common with age: in US data, more than 70% of people over 80 have them, but fewer than 5% of people with pouches develop diverticulitis.
- Main symptom: constant pain low on the left side of the tummy, often with a high temperature and a change in bowel habit.
- Emergency: call 112 for severe tummy pain with vomiting or a swollen belly, heavy bleeding from the bottom, or confusion with pale or blotchy skin.
Do not book a video appointment if you have severe tummy pain with vomiting, a swollen, hard or very tender belly, cannot poo or pass wind, are bleeding heavily from the bottom, or feel very unwell with confusion, pale or blotchy skin or fast breathing. Call 112 or go to an emergency department.
Can an online doctor treat diverticulitis?
Partly. Diverticular disease and a mild attack of diverticulitis are usually managed at home, and a doctor can assess them by video, advise on pain relief, fluids and food, and decide whether you need antibiotics or tests. Uncontrolled pain, vomiting, bleeding, a swollen or hard belly, or feeling very unwell need a hospital, for a scan, treatment through a drip and, for a few people, surgery.
How an online consultation helps with diverticulitis
- Warning signs checked first: Pain, temperature, bleeding and vomiting tell the doctor whether home care is safe or you need a hospital.
- Antibiotics only when they help: If you are otherwise well, a mild attack often settles without them.
- Pain relief that protects the bowel: Paracetamol rather than anti-inflammatory painkillers or codeine, which can raise the risk of a tear in the bowel.
- A plan to prevent the next attack: Fibre, fluids and lifestyle changes, and which symptoms need tests to rule out other causes.
What the doctor checks in an online diverticulitis consultation
The doctor looks for the signs of a complication first, then at the pattern of your symptoms. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: severe or worsening pain, a swollen or hard belly, vomiting, bleeding, or not being able to poo or pass wind.
- The pain: where it is, when it started, and whether it is constant.
- Temperature: a high temperature, chills, and how unwell you feel.
- Your bowels: constipation, diarrhoea, mucus or blood, compared with your usual pattern.
- Your history: earlier attacks, scans and colonoscopies.
- Your health: a weakened immune system, long-term conditions, pregnancy, and your medicines, especially anti-inflammatory painkillers, steroids and opioids.
Before the call, take your temperature if you can, note when the pain started, and have any earlier scan or colonoscopy reports to hand.
Diverticulosis, diverticular disease and diverticulitis: what is the difference?
All three involve diverticula, small pouches that bulge through weak spots in the wall of the large bowel. The words describe what the pouches are doing:
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| Term | What it means | Typical symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Diverticulosis | Pouches in the bowel wall, often found by chance on a scan or colonoscopy | None: no specific treatment is needed |
| Diverticular disease | Pouches that cause symptoms, without infection | Lower tummy pain that is worse after eating and eases after a poo or passing wind, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, sometimes blood in the poo |
| Diverticulitis | One or more pouches become inflamed or infected | Constant, often severe pain, usually low on the left, a high temperature, feeling sick, and a change in bowel habit |
Pouches become more common with age. In the United States, more than 30% of adults aged 50 to 59 and more than 70% of people over 80 have them, yet fewer than 5% of people with pouches develop diverticulitis, and most never have symptoms.
Where in the bowel, and where it hurts
In people of European descent, the pouches are usually in the lower left part of the large bowel, so the pain is usually on the left. In people of Asian descent, they are more often on the right side, so the pain can be on the right. A small number of people of any background feel the pain on the right.
What are the symptoms of diverticulitis?
The most common symptom is pain low on the left side of the tummy, usually constant and often severe. Other symptoms are:
- tenderness when the tummy is pressed
- a high temperature, chills or shivering
- feeling sick or being sick
- constipation or diarrhoea, or a sudden change in bowel habit
- mucus or blood from the bottom
Diverticular disease without infection causes milder symptoms: lower tummy pain that is worse after eating and eases after a poo or passing wind, bloating and wind, and constipation or diarrhoea, much like irritable bowel syndrome.
What does a diverticulitis attack feel like?
The pain is usually moderate to severe, sharp or burning, and felt where the bowel is inflamed. It often starts suddenly but can build over a few days, and it is constant rather than coming and going.
What does poo look like with diverticulitis?
There is no particular look that confirms diverticulitis. People notice constipation with hard poo, diarrhoea, mucus, or blood, which may look red or dark. Bleeding from a pouch can be sudden and heavy, and needs emergency care. Blood in poo and a lasting change in bowel habit can also be signs of bowel cancer, so they always need a doctor’s assessment, even if you know you have pouches. The blood in poo page explains the causes.
What causes diverticulitis, and who gets it?
Doctors do not know exactly why pouches form or become inflamed. Pouches form at weak spots in the bowel wall, and pressure from straining or spasms may play a part. An attack often seems to start with a small tear in a pouch and an infection, sometimes after hard poo gets stuck in it. These make it more likely:
- Age: diverticulitis is more common after 50.
- Diet: a diet low in fibre and high in red meat.
- Weight and activity: obesity and too little exercise.
- Smoking and alcohol: smoking, and heavy drinking.
- Medicines: anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen and naproxen, steroids, and opioids.
- Genes: certain genes may make some people more likely to develop diverticular disease.
- Low vitamin D: linked to a higher risk.
Below the age of 50, diverticulitis is more common in men; from 50, it is more common in women.
Is diverticulitis hereditary?
Partly. Certain genes may make some people more likely to develop diverticular disease, but diet, weight, activity and smoking matter too, and whether a pouch becomes inflamed seems largely down to chance.
What should you eat with diverticulitis, and what should you avoid?
No food has to be avoided for good. Seeds, nuts, popcorn and fruit skins were once thought to get stuck in the pouches, but guidance now says you do not need to avoid them. What to eat depends on the stage:
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| Stage | What to eat and drink | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| During a mild attack | Clear fluids: broth, fruit juice without pulp, water, tea or coffee without milk, jelly, ice lollies without fruit pieces | No more than a few days, unless a doctor advises it |
| As you recover | Low-fibre food: cooked or tinned fruit and vegetables without skins or seeds, white bread, rice and pasta, eggs, fish, chicken, yoghurt | Add fibre back slowly over a few weeks |
| Once you are better, for life | A balanced diet with whole grains, fruit, vegetables and beans, aiming for 30 g of fibre a day | Drink plenty as you add fibre; the benefits can take several weeks |
| Every day | Seeds, nuts, popcorn and fruit skins are fine | Eating less red meat may lower the risk |
Adults in the UK eat about 20 g of fibre a day on average, two-thirds of the recommended 30 g. A fibre supplement can help if food alone is not enough.
What soups can you eat with diverticulitis?
During an attack, clear chicken, beef or vegetable broth. As you recover, smooth soups of well-cooked vegetables without skins or seeds. Once you are better, any soup, including bean and lentil soups that add fibre.
Is diverticulitis serious?
Usually not. Most attacks are mild, and diverticulitis does not usually shorten life. About 15% of people with diverticulitis develop a complication; the dangerous ones are a tear in the bowel and a burst abscess:
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| Complication | What happens | Signs | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abscess | A pocket of pus next to the bowel | A lump in the tummy, with pain that does not settle | Antibiotics, sometimes draining |
| Perforation | A tear in the bowel wall, causing peritonitis | Severe pain and a hard, rigid belly | Emergency surgery |
| Fistula | A channel between the bowel and another organ, often the bladder | Wind or poo in the urine, cloudy urine, or poo passed from the vagina | Surgery |
| Blockage | Scarring narrows the bowel | Cramping pain, a swollen belly, vomiting, no poo or wind | Hospital treatment, sometimes surgery |
| Bleeding | A blood vessel in a pouch bursts | Sudden, sometimes heavy bleeding from the bottom | Hospital care, sometimes a blood transfusion |
| Sepsis | The body overreacts to the infection | Confusion, pale or blotchy skin, fast breathing | Call 112 |
Will diverticulitis come back, and can you prevent it?
It can come back: after one attack, the chance of another is about 1 in 5. Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory bowel medicines to prevent attacks are not recommended. What lowers the risk is fibre with enough fluids, regular exercise, and vigorous exercise in particular, losing weight if you are overweight, not smoking, less alcohol, and avoiding regular anti-inflammatory painkillers.
Will I need surgery?
Most people never do. Surgery removes the affected part of the bowel when a complication does not settle, such as an abscess, a perforation, a fistula, a narrowing or continued bleeding. Some people need a colostomy, where the bowel opens onto the tummy into a bag, often only for a while. Planned surgery may be offered if symptoms continue after a complicated attack.
Diverticulitis or something else?
Lower tummy pain has many causes. These clues help, but only an assessment can confirm the cause:
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| Condition | Where the pain is | Other clues | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diverticulitis | Usually low on the left, constant | A high temperature, a change in bowel habit, more common after 50 | See a doctor promptly; call 112 for severe pain or heavy bleeding |
| Appendicitis | Starts around the belly button, then moves low on the right | Worse when moving or coughing; feeling sick, no appetite; most common in older children and young adults | Urgent assessment in hospital |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | Stomach cramps | Bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, usually lifelong | Usually treated online |
| Bowel cancer | Sometimes tummy pain, or a lump | Blood in the poo, a lasting change in bowel habit, weight loss without trying, tiredness | Prompt tests in person |
Pain in other parts of the tummy is covered in the stomach pain guide, and pain low on the right on the appendicitis page.
Which diverticulitis treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on whether the pouches are inflamed, how unwell you are and your general health. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NICE guidance:
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| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pouches found by chance, no symptoms | A healthy diet with fibre, fluids, activity and not smoking | Yes | Not needed |
| Grumbling lower tummy pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea | Fibre, paracetamol, and a bulk-forming laxative or a medicine for cramps | Yes | If symptoms persist, for tests for other causes |
| A mild attack of diverticulitis, otherwise well | Paracetamol, fluids and rest, often without antibiotics, and a review if it does not settle | Yes | If symptoms persist or get worse |
| Diverticulitis with a high temperature and feeling unwell, or a weakened immune system | Antibiotics by mouth | Yes, to assess | If the pain cannot be controlled, or you get worse |
| Blood in the poo, or a lasting change in bowel habit | Tests to rule out other causes, including bowel cancer | Partly | For a colonoscopy or other tests |
| Severe pain, vomiting, heavy bleeding, or a hard, swollen belly | Hospital: a scan, antibiotics through a drip, sometimes surgery | No | Call 112 now |
Pain low on the left of your tummy? A doctor can tell you in one consultation whether it can be managed at home.
See available times →Treatment options for diverticulitis
A mild, uncomplicated attack usually gets better in about a week.
What you can do yourself
- Take paracetamol for the pain.
- Avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory painkillers, and codeine, if you can, but ask a doctor before stopping any you take on prescription.
- Rest. The doctor may suggest clear fluids for a few days before you build back up to normal food.
- Drink plenty, especially in hot weather or with diarrhoea.
- Once the attack has settled, add fibre back slowly, and keep it up for life if you can.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For a mild attack in someone who is otherwise well, antibiotics are often not needed, and the doctor may suggest paracetamol, fluids and a review if things do not settle. If you have a high temperature and feel unwell, have a weakened immune system or have other serious health problems, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics by mouth. For diverticular disease, the doctor may recommend a bulk-forming laxative, or an antispasmodic medicine for cramps. Codeine and other opioid painkillers are best avoided, and are never prescribed online. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Antibiotics for diverticular disease without inflammation or infection. Antibiotics or anti-inflammatory bowel medicines taken long term to prevent another attack. Cutting out seeds, nuts, popcorn or fruit skins. Staying on clear fluids for more than a few days without a doctor’s advice.
Special situations
A weakened immune system or serious long-term conditions
Diverticulitis can be more serious, so the doctor is more likely to prescribe antibiotics and to advise an in-person check.
Pregnancy
Tell the doctor if you are pregnant: it changes which medicines and scans are suitable, and other causes of tummy pain need checking.
Diverticulitis while travelling in Europe
A mild attack on holiday is managed the same way, and the warning signs mean 112. In hot weather or with travellers’ diarrhoea, drink more, because dehydration is more likely. Carry a list of your medicines and any earlier scan reports.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When diverticulitis is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: diverticular disease, a mild attack of diverticulitis in someone who is otherwise well, decisions about antibiotics, pain relief and diet, and follow-up after an attack or a hospital stay.
In-person care: uncontrolled pain, vomiting, bleeding, a hard or swollen belly, symptoms that persist or get worse despite treatment, blood tests, scans and colonoscopy, and surgery.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- severe tummy pain with vomiting, a swollen belly, or not being able to poo or pass wind
- a hard, rigid or very tender belly
- heavy bleeding from the bottom, or large blood clots in your poo
- vomiting blood or material like coffee grounds, or black, tar-like poo
- confusion, pale or blotchy skin, a very high or low temperature, or fast breathing
Get medical advice the same day for:
- tummy pain that is getting worse or not going away
- a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery, with tummy pain
- blood or mucus in your poo
- being sick and unable to keep fluids down
- diarrhoea for more than 7 days, or vomiting for more than 2 days
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your symptoms: say where the pain is and when it started, give your temperature if you have taken it, and mention any bleeding, earlier attacks or scans.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s diverticulitis? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about diverticulitis
What does poo look like with diverticulitis?
There is no particular look that confirms diverticulitis. People notice constipation with hard poo, diarrhoea, mucus, or blood that may look red or dark. Blood in your poo or a lasting change in bowel habit always needs a doctor, because bowel cancer can cause the same changes.
What is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is inflammation or infection of diverticula, small pouches in the wall of the large bowel. Having the pouches without symptoms is diverticulosis; symptoms from them without infection are called diverticular disease.
What is the most common symptom of diverticulitis?
The most common symptom of diverticulitis is pain low on the left side of the tummy, usually constant and often severe, with a high temperature, feeling sick or a change in bowel habit. Some people, particularly of Asian descent, feel the pain on the right.
What foods should I avoid if I have diverticulitis?
With diverticulitis, no food has to be avoided for good, and seeds, nuts, popcorn and fruit skins are fine. During a mild attack, clear fluids for a few days and then low-fibre food can help, before you add fibre back slowly. Eating less red meat may lower the risk.
What can trigger diverticulitis?
The exact trigger of diverticulitis is often unknown; an attack may start with a small tear in a pouch and an infection. A low-fibre diet, red meat, obesity, smoking, inactivity, and medicines such as anti-inflammatory painkillers, steroids and opioids raise the risk.
How is diverticulitis treated?
A mild attack is treated at home with paracetamol, fluids and rest, often without antibiotics if you are otherwise well, and usually gets better in about a week. Antibiotics are used if you are unwell or have a weakened immune system, and complicated diverticulitis is treated in hospital.
How long does diverticulitis last?
A mild attack of diverticulitis usually improves within 2 to 3 days of rest, fluids and pain relief, with or without antibiotics, and settles fully within a week to 10 days; the bowel can stay tender and the habit unsettled for a few weeks afterwards. Pain that is not easing after 2 to 3 days, a rising fever or vomiting means the attack is not mild and needs assessment, and a minority of people have another attack within a few years.
How can I relieve diverticulitis pain fast at home?
For diverticulitis pain, take paracetamol, rest, and stick to clear fluids for a few days during a mild attack. Avoid ibuprofen and codeine. Pain that is severe, spreading or not controlled needs urgent medical help.
When should I go to hospital with diverticulitis?
With diverticulitis, call 112 or go to an emergency department for severe pain with vomiting or a swollen belly, not being able to poo or pass wind, heavy bleeding from the bottom, or confusion with pale or blotchy skin. Get urgent medical advice for worsening pain, a high temperature or blood in your poo.
Is diverticulitis serious?
Usually not. Most attacks are mild, and diverticulitis does not usually shorten life. About 15% of people with diverticulitis develop a complication, such as an abscess, a blockage, bleeding or a tear in the bowel, which needs hospital care.
Is diverticulitis hereditary?
Partly. Certain genes may make some people more likely to develop diverticular disease, but diet, weight, activity and smoking matter as well, and whether a pouch becomes inflamed seems largely down to chance.
Can an online doctor treat diverticulitis?
Partly. A doctor can assess diverticular disease and a mild attack by video, advise on pain relief, fluids and diet, and decide whether you need antibiotics. Severe pain, vomiting, bleeding or signs of a complication need hospital care.
- Diverticular disease and diverticulitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 7 September 2023.
- Diverticular disease: diagnosis and management (NG147), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, November 2019.
- Definition and facts for diverticular disease, NIDDK, US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, reviewed August 2021.
- Symptoms and causes of diverticular disease, NIDDK, US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, reviewed August 2021.
- Diverticulitis: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic (US), updated 22 October 2024.
- Diverticulitis diet, Mayo Clinic (US), updated 12 November 2024.
- Diverticulitis, Cleveland Clinic (US), reviewed April 2023.
- How to get more fibre into your diet, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 2 March 2026.
- Bowel cancer: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 4 September 2026.
- Appendicitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 9 August 2024.
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), NHS, National Health Service (UK), updated 1 April 2025.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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