Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Does It Feel Like?CausesIs It Diverticulitis?Managing PainPreventing FlaresHow Long Can Pain Last?When to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Does It Feel Like?
Causes
Is It Diverticulitis?
Managing Pain
Preventing Flares
How Long Can Pain Last?
When to Seek Care
Diverticulitiscan cause symptoms including abdominal pain. One of the most commondiverticulitis symptomsis abdominal pain on your lower left or right side. Diverticulitis pain can get worse when you sleep or exercise. The pain might be managed with changes in diet and medications.
This article will address what diverticulitis pain feels like and how it might be treated.
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What Does It Feel Like to Have Diverticulitis?
Diverticular diseaseaffects the colon (large intestine) and occurs when small pouches, calleddiverticula, form in the lining of the colon. Most people don’t know they have diverticula, and there may not be any symptoms. However, when these outpouchings become inflamed, diverticulitis results.
Initially, it might not be obvious that the symptoms come from diverticulitis. Knowing what diverticulitis feels like might help narrow down the cause of symptoms and help you understand when to see a healthcare provider.
The Location of Diverticulitis Pain
Additional Diverticulitis Symptoms
Abdominal discomfort or pain, or pain in the suprapubic area (below the navel), is commonly noted in diverticulitis. Other signs or symptoms can include:
Red Flag SymptomsSymptoms of vomiting or diarrhea that won’t stop, copiousbleeding from the rectum, severe abdominal pain, fainting, or dizziness, are reasons to seek care at an emergency department as soon as possible.
Red Flag Symptoms
Symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea that won’t stop, copiousbleeding from the rectum, severe abdominal pain, fainting, or dizziness, are reasons to seek care at an emergency department as soon as possible.
Can Diverticulitis Pain Radiate to Your Back?
Most Common Causes for Diverticular Disease
It’s not exactly clear why people develop diverticular disease, but there are several different causes. These include genetics, lifestyle, and environmental causes.
Factors that may lead to inflamed diverticula and causing symptoms include:
Diverticulitis usually results when several of these factors combine to cause an inflammation of the diverticula. Changes in the microbiome, immune response in the colon, stool moving slowly through the colon, and other lifestyle factors may lead to an attack of diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis Symptoms
How Do You Know If Your Pain Is From Diverticulitis?
It may not be possible to know that abdominal pain is from diverticulitis if it’s the first time you’re experiencing symptoms. Seeing a healthcare provider when you notice any new abdominal pain is important, even if it has happened before.
Could Your Abdominal Pain Be Something Else?
Diseases and conditions that have symptoms similar to diverticulitis include:
How to Manage Diverticulitis Pain
Mild pain from diverticulitis might be managed at home. However, most cases require antibiotics. More serious pain may require treatment in the hospital.
At home, pain treatment may include Tylenol (acetaminophen). NSAIDs such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) aren’t usually recommended for diverticulitis pain because they can be associated with bleeding in the digestive tract.
Pain that can’t be treated at home might need management in the hospital with intravenous pain medications. Antibiotics may also be given.
Aside from pain management, a liquid diet might be recommended for a few days. However, there’s no good evidence that it may help. Antibiotics might also be recommended in complicated cases. Surgery might be a possibility when diverticulitis keeps coming back.
Abdominal Pain: What You Should Know
Preventing Diverticulitis Flares
Antibiotics, probiotics (friendly bacteria), and Lialda (mesalamine) have so far not been shown definitively to reduce the recurrence of diverticulitis. More clinical trials are needed on these medications.
Popcorn, nuts, and seeds were formerly thought to increase the risk of diverticulitis, but research shows this to be untrue. In fact, these high-fiber foods may protect against developing diverticular disease.A diet rich in fiber is encouraged.
How to Prevent Diverticulitis Flare-Ups
Can Diverticulitis Pain Last for Weeks?
Not everyone who has diverticulitis has pain. However, when pain is present, it may last for several days after treatment starts. For complicated cases of diverticulitis, the pain may last longer.
If you have symptoms such as abdominal pain and bleeding, seek care from a healthcare provider to determine the cause.
Uncomplicated diverticulitis might get better with some conservative treatment at home. For more complicated cases, treatment in the hospital might be needed.
Summary
Diverticulitis may cause abdominal pain. In most cases, symptoms of diverticulitis last for a few days. Some people may have a recurrence. but most people recover fully and symptoms resolve. If pain or other symptoms don’t get better, see a healthcare provider and get reevaluated.
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.Lamanna L, Moran PE.Diverticular disease.Gastroenterol Nurs.2018;41:111-119. doi:10.1097/sga.0000000000000307National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diverticular disease.Koprowski MA, Affleck A, Tsikitis VL.Emerging evidence and recent controversies in diverticulitis: a 5-year review.Ann Gastroenterology. 2022;35:8-16. doi:10.20524/aog.2021.0677Ticinesi A, Nouvenne A, Corrente V, et al.Diverticular disease: a gut microbiota perspective.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2019;28:327-337. doi:10.15403/jgld-277Wedel T, Barrenschee M, Lange C, Cossais F, Böttner M.Morphologic basis for developing diverticular disease, diverticulitis, and diverticular bleeding.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31:76-82. doi:10.1159/000381431Barbara G, Scaioli E, Barbaro MR, et al.Gut microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease.Gut. 2017;66:1252-1261. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312377Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diverticular disease.Feuerstein JD, Falchuk KR.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91:1094-1104. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.03.012National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.Isacson D, Thorisson A, Andreasson K, et al.Outpatient, non-antibiotic management in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis: a prospective study.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2015;30:1229-34. doi:10.1007/s00384-015-2258-yBöhm SK.Risk factors for diverticulosis, diverticulitis, diverticular perforation, and bleeding: a plea for more subtle history taking.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31(2):84-94. doi:10.1159/000381867
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.Lamanna L, Moran PE.Diverticular disease.Gastroenterol Nurs.2018;41:111-119. doi:10.1097/sga.0000000000000307National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diverticular disease.Koprowski MA, Affleck A, Tsikitis VL.Emerging evidence and recent controversies in diverticulitis: a 5-year review.Ann Gastroenterology. 2022;35:8-16. doi:10.20524/aog.2021.0677Ticinesi A, Nouvenne A, Corrente V, et al.Diverticular disease: a gut microbiota perspective.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2019;28:327-337. doi:10.15403/jgld-277Wedel T, Barrenschee M, Lange C, Cossais F, Böttner M.Morphologic basis for developing diverticular disease, diverticulitis, and diverticular bleeding.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31:76-82. doi:10.1159/000381431Barbara G, Scaioli E, Barbaro MR, et al.Gut microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease.Gut. 2017;66:1252-1261. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312377Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diverticular disease.Feuerstein JD, Falchuk KR.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91:1094-1104. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.03.012National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.Isacson D, Thorisson A, Andreasson K, et al.Outpatient, non-antibiotic management in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis: a prospective study.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2015;30:1229-34. doi:10.1007/s00384-015-2258-yBöhm SK.Risk factors for diverticulosis, diverticulitis, diverticular perforation, and bleeding: a plea for more subtle history taking.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31(2):84-94. doi:10.1159/000381867
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.
Lamanna L, Moran PE.Diverticular disease.Gastroenterol Nurs.2018;41:111-119. doi:10.1097/sga.0000000000000307National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diverticular disease.Koprowski MA, Affleck A, Tsikitis VL.Emerging evidence and recent controversies in diverticulitis: a 5-year review.Ann Gastroenterology. 2022;35:8-16. doi:10.20524/aog.2021.0677Ticinesi A, Nouvenne A, Corrente V, et al.Diverticular disease: a gut microbiota perspective.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2019;28:327-337. doi:10.15403/jgld-277Wedel T, Barrenschee M, Lange C, Cossais F, Böttner M.Morphologic basis for developing diverticular disease, diverticulitis, and diverticular bleeding.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31:76-82. doi:10.1159/000381431Barbara G, Scaioli E, Barbaro MR, et al.Gut microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease.Gut. 2017;66:1252-1261. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312377Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diverticular disease.Feuerstein JD, Falchuk KR.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91:1094-1104. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.03.012National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.Isacson D, Thorisson A, Andreasson K, et al.Outpatient, non-antibiotic management in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis: a prospective study.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2015;30:1229-34. doi:10.1007/s00384-015-2258-yBöhm SK.Risk factors for diverticulosis, diverticulitis, diverticular perforation, and bleeding: a plea for more subtle history taking.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31(2):84-94. doi:10.1159/000381867
Lamanna L, Moran PE.Diverticular disease.Gastroenterol Nurs.2018;41:111-119. doi:10.1097/sga.0000000000000307
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diverticular disease.
Koprowski MA, Affleck A, Tsikitis VL.Emerging evidence and recent controversies in diverticulitis: a 5-year review.Ann Gastroenterology. 2022;35:8-16. doi:10.20524/aog.2021.0677
Ticinesi A, Nouvenne A, Corrente V, et al.Diverticular disease: a gut microbiota perspective.J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2019;28:327-337. doi:10.15403/jgld-277
Wedel T, Barrenschee M, Lange C, Cossais F, Böttner M.Morphologic basis for developing diverticular disease, diverticulitis, and diverticular bleeding.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31:76-82. doi:10.1159/000381431
Barbara G, Scaioli E, Barbaro MR, et al.Gut microbiota, metabolome and immune signatures in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease.Gut. 2017;66:1252-1261. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312377
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diverticular disease.
Feuerstein JD, Falchuk KR.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91:1094-1104. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.03.012
National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.
Isacson D, Thorisson A, Andreasson K, et al.Outpatient, non-antibiotic management in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis: a prospective study.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2015;30:1229-34. doi:10.1007/s00384-015-2258-y
Böhm SK.Risk factors for diverticulosis, diverticulitis, diverticular perforation, and bleeding: a plea for more subtle history taking.Viszeralmedizin. 2015;31(2):84-94. doi:10.1159/000381867
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