Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified medical practitioner about your own diagnosis, symptoms and treatment.
- What Do The Three Terms Actually Mean?
- Why Do Members Keep Mixing Up The Two Terms?
- How Is Each Condition Diagnosed?
- Will Diverticulitis Come Back After Treatment?
- Key Takeaways
- FAQs
- Is Diverticulosis The Same As Diverticular Disease?
- Can I Have A Colonoscopy During A Flare?
- Does Diverticulitis Always Come Back?
- Is Diverticulosis A Long-Term Condition?
- Still Unsure Which One Applies To You?
- Stop Guessing. Start Understanding
This article is based on anonymised discussions from our Diverticulitis Club group on Facebook.
Diverticulosis is the presence of small pouches, called diverticula, in the wall of the colon. Diverticulitis is a flare, when one or more of those pouches becomes inflamed or infected. The two words look and sound similar, but they describe different situations, and the advice you get depends entirely on which one applies to you at the time.
Members tell us this confusion comes up again and again in the group, particularly straight after diagnosis. Getting the terms right matters, because a doctor treating diverticulosis and a doctor treating a diverticulitis flare will give you very different advice.
What Do The Three Terms Actually Mean?
There are three separate words in play, and each one means something different.
Term | What It Means | Typical Symptoms |
Diverticula | Small pouches that form in the wall of the colon. | None on their own. They are simply structures. |
Diverticulosis (Diverticular Disease) | The presence of diverticula, without infection or inflammation. This is the underlying disease. | Often none. Some people get lower left tummy pain, bloating or changes in bowel habit. |
Diverticulitis | A flare. One or more diverticula becomes inflamed or infected. | Severe, constant tummy pain, fever, nausea, and sometimes bleeding or mucus. |
Why Do Members Keep Mixing Up The Two Terms?
One long-standing member of the group, Denise from Ayr, laid out the distinction clearly for others who were struggling with the terminology:
“Diverticulosis or diverticular disease is the disease itself, the presence of diverticula, the pockets. Diverticulitis is a flare, possibly inflammation and infection. When posting, please make it clear which one you mean, because you will get very different answers depending on whether you are in a flare or not.”
Her point stands. Diverticulosis can sit quietly for years and cause no problems at all. Diverticulitis is the active, painful episode that needs medical attention, often with antibiotics.
How Is Each Condition Diagnosed?
Which test you have depends on whether you are currently in a flare.
Situation | Test Usually Used | Why |
Not in a flare | Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy | Safe to examine the bowel directly and confirm diverticulosis. |
In a flare (pain, fever) | CT scan | A colonoscopy carries a higher risk of perforation when tissue is inflamed, so it is avoided during a flare. |
Another member described this distinction from personal experience:
“After a colonoscopy you will be told you have the disease, diverticulosis, the disease just being present, not inflamed. They are almost never done during a flare because of the inflammation, the pain, and the risk of a tear or perforation. In pain, with a fever, a CT scan will diagnose diverticulitis, an infection or inflammation of the pockets.”
This matches NHS guidance, which explains that a colonoscopy or CT scan may be used to confirm diverticular disease or diverticulitis and rule out other conditions. You can read the full guidance on the NHS website.
Will Diverticulitis Come Back After Treatment?
This is one of the most common questions members ask after a first flare. Graham from Solihull, who had a flare of diverticulitis treated with antibiotics, described the uncertainty many people feel once the acute episode has settled:
“My doctor told me I haven’t got diverticulosis and I most probably will never get diverticulitis again, as it isn’t a chronic condition. Is this true? Because I don’t feel like it’s ever fully gone away, I can still feel pain down the lower left side of my abdomen and it feels like something is moving about.”
There is no single answer that applies to everyone. Diverticulosis itself, the presence of the pouches, is generally lifelong once it has developed. Whether it progresses to diverticulitis varies from person to person, and having one flare does not mean another is inevitable. Equally, it does not guarantee you are free of future flares.
Ongoing or new lower left abdominal pain after treatment is not something to self-diagnose from a Facebook thread. NHS guidance advises asking for an urgent GP appointment or contacting NHS 111 if tummy pain is getting worse or does not go away. If pain persists after your antibiotics have finished, it is worth going back to your GP for a review rather than assuming it will settle on its own.
Key Takeaways
- Diverticula are the pouches. Diverticulosis is having them without symptoms. Diverticulitis is a flare, when they become inflamed or infected.
- A colonoscopy is generally used outside a flare. A CT scan is generally used during one, because of the risk of perforation.
- Having diverticulosis does not mean you will develop diverticulitis, and having one flare does not mean you are guaranteed another.
- Persistent pain after treatment is worth raising with your GP rather than assuming it is normal.
FAQs
Is Diverticulosis The Same As Diverticular Disease?
Yes. Diverticular disease and diverticulosis are generally used to mean the same thing, the presence of diverticula in the colon without a current infection or flare.
Can I Have A Colonoscopy During A Flare?
Doctors generally avoid colonoscopy during an active flare of diverticulitis, because the bowel wall is inflamed and there is a higher risk of causing a tear. A CT scan is the usual test when you are in pain with a fever.
Does Diverticulitis Always Come Back?
No. Many people have a single flare and never have another. Others go on to have repeat episodes. There is individual variation, and your GP is best placed to advise on your own risk based on your history.
Is Diverticulosis A Long-Term Condition?
The diverticula themselves generally remain once they have formed, so diverticulosis is usually a long-term feature. This does not mean it will cause symptoms or progress to diverticulitis.
Still Unsure Which One Applies To You?
If you are dealing with a new diagnosis or an ongoing flare, our members have been through the same confusion. You can track your own symptoms and patterns with our free food and symptoms diary, or share your experience with others who understand what you are going through in the forums.
Start your food and symptoms diary today, or head to the
Diverticulitis Club forums to ask questions and read how other members have managed their own diagnosis.
Disclaimer: This article is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified medical practitioner about your own diagnosis, symptoms and treatment.
