The key difference between diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease is that diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal disease that occurs when pouches called diverticula develop in the GI tract and become inflamed and infected, while Crohn’s disease is a gastrointestinal disease that occurs when there is an inflammation in the small intestine and colon.
Diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease are two gastrointestinal tract diseases. Both diseases impact the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Moreover, both diseases cause inflammation of the GI tract. However, they are different conditions with separate reasons for pain.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Diverticulitis
3. What is Crohn’s Disease
4. Similarities – Diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease
5. Diverticulitis vs Crohn’s Disease in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease
What is Diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal disease. It occurs when pouches called diverticula start to form in the GI tract and become inflamed and infected. This condition commonly occurs in the Western population and can be seen in 10% of people over the age of 40 and 50% of people over 60. The rate of this disease typically increases with age. Scientists believe that this condition is due to not eating enough fibers. Not eating enough fiber leads to constipation, which puts extra pressure on the colon walls, and this causes diverticula or bulges to form in the weak areas of the colon. The risk factors for diverticulitis may include age (over 40), male, overweight, eating a low-fiber diet, eating higher fat and red meat, not enough exercise, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, steroids, and opioids, and smoking. Moreover, the signs and symptoms of this condition include pain, tenderness in the left lower side of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, chills, cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation or diarrhoea, and rectal bleeding.
Diverticulitis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood test, stool sample, digital rectal exam, CT scan, Barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and angiography. Furthermore, treatment options for this condition may include resting, taking a higher fiber diet, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, receiving oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics such as metronidazole, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, IV fluids, and surgery.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a gastrointestinal disease, and it is part of a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). This condition occurs when there is inflammation in the small intestine and colon. The main symptoms of Crohn’s disease are diarrhoea, stomach aches or cramps, blood in the stool, tiredness or fatigue, and weight loss. It is thought to believe Crohn’s disease is caused due to genes, a problem in the immune system, smoking, a previous stomach bug, and an abnormal balance of gut bacteria. The risk factors for this condition include family history, smoking, certain medicines like antibiotics, birth control pill, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and a high-fat diet.
Crohn’s disease can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, blood test, stool studies, colonoscopy, CT scan, MRI, capsule endoscopy, and balloon-assisted enteroscopy. Furthermore, treatment options for Crohn’s disease may include anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids, oral 5-aminosalicylates, immune system suppressors (azathioprine and methotrexate), biologics (vedolizumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, and risankizumab), antibiotics, other medications like anti-diarrhoeal, pain relievers, vitamins and supplements, nutritional therapy and surgery.
What are the Similarities Between Diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease?
- Diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease are two gastrointestinal tract diseases.
- Both diseases impact the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
- In fact, they cause inflammation of the GI tract.
- Both diseases may have similar symptoms, such as pain, tenderness, etc.
- These diseases can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging scans.
- They are treated through specific medications and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease?
Diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal disease that occurs when pouches called diverticula form in the GI tract and become inflamed and infected, while Crohn’s disease is a gastrointestinal disease that occurs when there is inflammation in the small intestine and colon. Thus, this is the key difference between diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease. Furthermore, diverticulitis is due to not eating enough fibers while Crohn’s disease is due to genes, a problem in the immune system, smoking, a previous stomach bug, or an abnormal balance of gut bacteria.
The below infographic presents the differences between diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Diverticulitis vs Crohn’s Disease
Diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease are two diseases that impact the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are two different conditions with separate reasons for pain and inflammation. Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula develop in the GI tract and become inflamed and infected, while Crohn’s disease occurs when there is inflammation in the small intestine and colon. So, this summarizes the difference between diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease.
Reference:
1. “Crohn’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and More.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Ds00070 an01934 im00887 divert s gif” By Lfreeman04 – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Crohn’s Disease vs Colitis ulcerosa” By Own work, derived from: Patterns of Crohn's Disease.svg by Samir, vectorized by Fvasconcellos – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia