Q. Can I ever recover from acute diverticulitis?

A. The answer depends on the severity of your diverticulitis.

The mildest end of the spectrum of diverticular disease is diverticulosis. Diverticulosis is simply a collection of outpouchings, or diverticula, in the wall of the colon. Aside from being an occasional source of blood in the stool, diverticulosis usually does not cause symptoms.

Diverticulitis — the suffix “itis” indicates inflammation — typically occurs when a diverticulum becomes blocked by a piece of hard stool, called a fecalith. This localized blockage leads to bacterial overgrowth, followed by inflammation, infection and abscess formation. At the most severe end of the spectrum, the abscess can rupture and stool may enter the abdominal cavity, which may result in sepsis, a dangerous blood infection.

But severe disease is not the norm. Most people with diverticulosis do not progress to diverticulitis. Only 10 percent to 20 percent go on to have pain or bleeding.