ColonoscopyĪ colonoscopy is where a thin tube with a camera at the end (a colonoscope) is inserted into your bottom and guided up into your bowel. If necessary, you'll be referred for a colonoscopy, a CT scan, or sometimes both. These often have very similar symptoms to diverticular disease. Tests for diverticular disease and diverticulitisĪfter taking your medical history and listening to your symptoms, the GP may first want to rule out other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), coeliac disease or bowel cancer.

If you've already been diagnosed with diverticular disease, you usually do not need to contact a GP – the symptoms can be treated at home.īut if you have any bleeding or severe pain, seek immediate medical advice.Ĭontact a GP or, if this is not possible, call NHS 111 or your local out-of-hours service.

get mucus or blood in your poo, or bleeding from your bottom (rectal bleeding)Ĭontact a GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of diverticular disease or diverticulitis.

If your diverticula become infected and inflamed (diverticulitis), you may suddenly:

tummy pain, usually in your lower left side, that tends to come and go and gets worse during or shortly after eating (pooing or farting eases it).

Symptoms of diverticular disease include: Symptoms of diverticular disease and diverticulitis

You're more likely to get diverticular disease and diverticulitis if you do not get enough fibre in your diet. If the diverticula become inflamed or infected, causing more severe symptoms, it's called diverticulitis. When diverticula cause symptoms, such as pain in the lower tummy, it's called diverticular disease. When there are no symptoms, it is called diverticulosis. Most people with diverticula do not get any symptoms and only know they have them after having a scan for another reason. Diverticular disease and diverticulitis are related digestive conditions that affect the large intestine (bowel).ĭiverticula are small bulges or pockets that can develop in the lining of the intestine as you get older.

Liquid diet foods diverticulitis