The key difference between Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is that in Ulcerative colitis person usually suffers from abdominal pain, losing weight and superficial inflammation occurs in the innermost linings of the intestinal walls and extended up to colon only; in the Crohn’s disease whole Gastrointestinal tract get inflamed right from the top of mouth to the anus. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) can occur at any stage of life.
However, both the disease share almost the same symptoms and can be marked due to the abnormal response of the body’s immune system. The word ‘Inflammatory‘ arose from the Greek word flame which means ‘to be set on fire,’ it usually starts when body’s immune system takes food, bacteria, and other favorable particles as a foreign body and starts acting against them. These diseases are commonly found in developed countries like the USA, it is believed that due to the lack of germ resistance development in the body has partly contributed to the occurrence of IBD.
People get confused with the Ulcerative colitis and Crohns’s disease, hence to know it better it is useful to study the difference between both. Though both the diseases affect the gastrointestinal tract and fall under the umbrella known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Content: Ulcerative Colitis Vs Crohn’s disease
Comparison Chart
| Basis For Comparison | Ulcerative colitis | Crohn's disease |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ulcerative colitis is said to be as the inflammation in the linings of rectum, and especially large intestine or colon. | Crohn's disease may affect any or whole part or the Gastrointestinal tract right from mouth to the anus and affects both small and large bowel. |
| Distribution | Affects only large bowel. | Affects small and large bowel i.e. small intestine and the beginning of the colon. |
| Affects | UC only affects the innermost layer of tissue in your colon. | Crohn’s disease can affect all layers of your intestinal tissue. |
| Kind of Inflammation | Symmetrical. | Asymmetrical. |
| Histology | Granulomas absent. | Granulomas present. |
| The increase in a number of white cells tends to polymorph. | The increase in a number of white cells tends to lymphocytes. | |
| Inflammation is limited to the intestine. | Inflammation extended to mucosa and muscles of bowels i.e. small and large bowels. | |
| Diagnosis | 1.Stool test. 2.Biopsy. 3.Colonoscopy. 4.Stool test. 5.Endoscopy. 6.CT Scan. | 1.Blood test. 2.Stool test. 3.Endoscopy. 4.Colonoscopy. 5.CT Scans. 6.MRI. |
| Signs/Symptoms | 1.Bloody stools. 2.Abdominal pain. 3.Mucus discharge from the rectum. 4.Frequent stools. 5.Belly pain or cramps. 6.Loss of appetite. | 1.Regular Diarrhea. 2.Fever. 3.Abdominal pain. 4.Fatigue. |
| Medications | 1.Steroids. 2.Antibiotics. 3.Medicines to reduce swelling. 4.No biological therapy. 5.No surgery required. | 1.Antibiotics. 2.Steroids. 3.Immune modifiers (Immunomodulators). 4.Biological therapy is given. 5.Surgery required in severe cases. |
| Complications | Complications of Ulcerative colitis includes kidney stone, dehydration, blood infection, colon cancer, swelled colon, liver disease, ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of joints between spinal cord), hole in the colon. | Crohn's disease have complications like ulcers, fistulas, fissures, malnutrition, colon cancer, malnutrition, narrow bowel obstructions, osteoporosis. |
Definition of Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a severe kind of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which results in the inflammation of the linings of the large intestine (colon), rectum. It is the kind of chronic conditions, which gradually develops sores (ulcers) on the lining of the colon, it sometimes may affect the entire colon. These ulcers cause bleeding and discharge of pus and mucus.
The patient suffers from bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, in worst cases it results in anemia also, due to blood loss. This disease is related to ex-smokers, or nonsmokers. If left untreated it may lead to colon cancer, blood clots, liver disease, osteoporosis, sepsis, dehydration. Also, other post effects are joint pain, joint swelling, skin problems, mouth sores, eye inflammation.
If proper care is not taken, it may lead to colon cancer, so regular screening helps in lowering the risk of colon cancer.
Types of Ulcerative colitis:
- Mild Ulcerative colitis.
- Severe Ulcerative colitis.
- Moderate Ulcerative colitis.
- Fulminant Ulcerative colitis.
Definition of Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is often found at the end of the small intestine (small bowel) and beginning of the colon (large bowel). Usually, persons suffer from crampy abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea. This disease may also affect eyes, joints, skin, liver and also continue weight loss.
Eventually, results in swelling and blockage of the intestinal tract, sores (ulcers) develop known as fistulas; it also results in colon cancer. Hence, colonoscopies are advised. Post effect are the liver disease, blood clots, colon cancer.
Chances of occurrence of this disease increase multiple times to the person who smokes. Patients are advised to take proper and regular treatment and should visit the doctor regularly.
More research about this disease is necessary. Researchers aren’t sure how it begins, who is most likely to develop it, or how to best treat it. Despite major advances in treatment in the last three decades, no cure is available.
Types of Crohn’s disease:
- Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease.
- Jejunoileitis.
- Ileitis.
- Ileocolitis.
- Crohn’s colitis.
Key Differences Between Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
As above discuss, both the diseases are kind of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affecting the colon and gastrointestinal tract and they have few key differences too, which are:
- Ulcerative colitis is said to be the inflammation in the linings of the rectum and especially large intestine (colon); Crohn’s disease affects the whole gastrointestinal tract, right from the mouth to the anus, affecting large and small bowel.
- Although most of the symptoms are the same, mainly in Ulcerative colitis people suffers from rectum bleeding, consecutively results in anemia in severe cases.
- Inflammation is limited to intestine only in Ulcerative colitis, but in Crohn’s disease whole gastrointestinal tract is affected, sometimes results in colon cancer.
- Complications related to the Ulcerative colitis include the kidney stone, dehydration, blood infection, colon cancer, swelled colon, liver disease, ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of joints between spinal cord), hole in the colon. But in Crohn’s disease, there can be complications like ulcers, fistulas, fissures, malnutrition, colon cancer, malnutrition, narrow bowel obstructions, osteoporosis.
Similarities
However it is not clear till yet that what are the causative agents of IBD, but they share certain common factors like, it is believed that these diseases can be due to Environmental factors, Genetics, or Autoimmune response. Following characteristics are common, and people may mistake them for one another:
- Firstly both the disease share common signs and symptoms in their initial stage like abdominal pain, diarrhea, belly pain, fever, fatigue.
- Both the disease occur in people having age between 15-35 years, especially persons with a family history of IBD.
- There is no actual cause known for both the disease. Still, researchers are going, but the reason is common that it is due to the autoimmune response of the body.
- They also share the same process of the diagnosis like Stool test, Biopsy, Colonoscopy, Stool test, Endoscopy, CT Scan.
- Even the medications provided are almost same like – Antibiotics, Steroids, Immune modifiers (Immunomodulators), Biological therapy is given, Surgery required in severe cases.
Conclusion
The two major kinds of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. IBD can decrease the quality of life by affecting one of the main parts of the body due to pain, frequent visits to the bathroom which wipe out all the comforts of life.
Care should be taken so that one can spend life free from disease by maintaining a proper diet, avoiding fatty foods, drinking water at regular interval and performing physical exercises. As there is no proper treatment available, hence IBD is should be treated on time, and proper care must be taken.
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