10 Facts You Need To Know About Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis Vs. Crohn’s Disease

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are both inflammatory bowel diseases. Both conditions involve long-term inflammation in the digestive system. With UC, the inflammation only affects the inner lining of the large intestine and rectum. However, in Crohn’s disease, the inflammation can impact the entire gastrointestinal tract. There are similar symptoms of the diseases including constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, an urgency to defecate, weight loss, fatigue, and low appetite. The main differences of the conditions are location, where the inflammation is, and specific symptoms. For example, blood in stools is a symptom that is more common with UC compared to Crohn’s. In addition, Crohn’s can have more symptoms that involve other parts of the body such as anal fissures, mouth sores, and other infections.