What is the Difference Between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

The key difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is that ulcerative colitis affects only the large intestine of the digestive tract, while Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract from mouth to anus. 

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two main types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They are long-term conditions involved in the inflammation of the gut. Both these conditions have shared symptoms such as belly cramps, constipation, diarrhea, an urgent need for bowel movement, fever, and weight loss. IBD usually occurs in people between the age of 15 and 40.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ulcerative Colitis 
3. What is Crohn’s Disease
4. Similarities – Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
5. Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects only the large intestine of the digestive tract. It causes inflammation and ulcers (sores) in the digestive tract. It normally affects the innermost lining of the large intestine and rectum. The symptoms develop over time rather than suddenly. These symptoms may include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, rectal pain, rectal bleeding, an urgency to defecate, inability to defecate despite the urgency, weight loss, fever, fatigue, weakness, and failure to grow (in children). There are different types of ulcerative colitis: ulcerative proctitis (inflammation confined to the area close to the anus), proctosigmoiditis (inflammation involving the anus and sigmoid colon) left-sided colitis (inflammation from the rectum up through the sigmoid colon and descending colon), and pancolitis (affects entire colon).

The causes of ulcerative colitis include autoimmune conditions, genetics (inherited genes), or environmental factors (previous diet and stress factors). Ulcerative colitis can be diagnosed through endoscopic procedures (colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy) with tissue biopsy, blood tests, stool studies, and imaging testing (X-ray, CT scan, MRI). Furthermore, treatment options for ulcerative colitis include anti-inflammatory drugs 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immune system suppressors (azathioprine, cyclosporine, tofacitinib), biologics (infliximab), anti-diarrheal medications, pain relievers (acetaminophen), antispasmodics, iron supplements, and surgery (proctocolectomy).

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. It causes swelling or inflammation of the tissues in the digestive tract. Inflammation that is caused by Crohn’s disease occurs in different areas of the digestive tract in different people. However, it commonly occurs in the small intestine. Moreover, inflammation can often spread into the deeper layers of the bowel. Crohn’s disease can be caused due to factors such as heredity (genes), autoimmune disease, smoking, previous stomach bug, or even an abnormal balance of gut bacteria.

The symptoms of Crohn’s disease include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, blood in the stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite, weight loss, pain or drainage around the anus, inflammation of the skin, eyes, and joints, kidney stones, inflammation of the liver and bile ducts, iron deficiency, delayed growth, or sexual development in children. Crohn’s disease can be diagnosed via stool tests, blood tests, colonoscopy, CT scan, MRI, capsule endoscopy, and balloon-assisted enteroscopy. Furthermore, treatments for Crohn’s disease may include anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroids, oral5-aminosalicylates), immune suppressors (azathioprine, methotrexate), biologics (vedolizumab), antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, metronidazole), anti diarrheals, pain relievers (acetaminophen), vitamin and supplements, nutrition therapy, and surgery.

What are the Similarities Between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease?

• Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two main types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
• Both are long-term conditions involved in the inflammation of the guts.
• These conditions have shared symptoms such as belly cramps, constipation, diarrhea, an urgent need for bowel movement, fever, weight loss, etc.
• Both of these conditions usually occur in people between the age of 15 and 40.
• They are treated with specific medications and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease?

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects only the large intestine of the digestive tract, while Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can occur anywhere in the digestive tract. Thus, this is the key difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Furthermore, ulcerative colitis is caused by autoimmune conditions, genetics (inherited genes), or environmental factors (previous diet and stress factors). On the other hand, Crohn’s disease is caused by heredity (genes), autoimmune disease, smoking, previous stomach bug, or an abnormal balance of gut bacteria.

The below infographic presents the differences between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two main types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Both conditions are long-term medical conditions that occur due to the inflammation of the guts. Ulcerative colitis affects only the large intestine of the digestive tract, while Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. So, this summarizes the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Reference:

1. “Ulcerative Colitis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Crohn’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Management & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Ulcerative colitis” By Samir at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “What is Crohn’s disease?” By IBD relief (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr