Many people are familiar with the term “irritable bowel disease” because they may know someone who copes with symptoms, or they themselves might too. But are you aware that IBD is actually an umbrella term that encompasses two conditions — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?
Though they do share symptoms, other facets of the conditions — as well as effective treatments — differ.
Fortunately, if you’re experiencing reduced quality of life because of either condition, the knowledgeable and caring provider team at Eisenman & Eisenman, MD, Advanced Gastro Consultants is eager to help.
They have extensive experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, so you can get relief ASAP.
It’s easy to understand why a Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis “mashup” can occur in people’s minds, especially because of the symptoms the two conditions share:
It’s important to understand the significant distinctions between these two conditions, though, because each requires a different treatment approach.
One of the primary differences between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is where they affect you. Ulcerative colitis impacts the large intestine (colon) exclusively, beginning at the rectum and extending upward.
Alternatively, Crohn’s may potentially affect any part of your digestive tract. It also causes intermittent inflammation, whereas ulcerative colitis typically affects the large intestine consistently.
When inflammation affects all layers of the bowel wall, this is known as transmural involvement. Crohn’s disease is marked by transmural involvement, but ulcerative colitis isn’t and generally only impacts the mucosal layer of the bowel walls, or the innermost layer.
Because inflammation occurs in the deeper layers of the bowel walls with Crohn’s, you can develop fistulas or abscesses, which are isolated areas of infection.
Symptoms that may lead your Eisenman & Eisenman provider to suspect that you’re living with ulcerative colitis include diarrhea that’s bloody, urgency when you need to use the bathroom, and an incomplete feeling, like you’re not quite done, afterward. Discomfort in your lower abdomen, specifically, also points to ulcerative colitis. During severe flares, you can feel truly exhausted or even develop a fever.
Signs that would make your provider lean toward a Crohn’s disease diagnosis include abdominal pain, non-bloody diarrhea, and lower appetite — which leads to weight loss — and this is especially true if your small intestine is affected. Painful fissures and tissue tunnels, known as fistulas, can develop in the anal area as well.
Unfortunately, intestinal narrowing causes something called strictures with Crohn’s and can also lead to mouth sores, bloating, nausea, and vomiting.
The malnutrition associated with Crohn’s, particularly when it affects the small intestine, can lead to serious problems, including bone loss, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and anemia, as well as unintended weight loss.
Another difference between the two conditions is that with Crohn’s, patients may develop granulomas, or a grouping of immune cells that develop due to chronic inflammation, whereas this doesn’t occur with ulcerative colitis.
When you consult with your provider about any of these difficult symptoms, your provider knows that each condition disrupts your life.
The tests we use to diagnose Crohn’s include a standard physical evaluation and an upper endoscopy or colonoscopy (tests in which we use a thin tube with a tiny camera on the end to visualize your digestive tract on a screen). With a colonoscopy, the tube is placed in your rectum, and with an upper endoscopy, it’s placed in your mouth and down your throat.
We also perform capsule endoscopies, which involve you taking a capsule that, amazingly, has a wireless camera inside it, capturing images as it moves through your digestive tract.
If you’re diagnosed with Crohn’s, we discuss the fact that it’s treatable but not curable. We may recommend steroids, antibiotics, or biologic medications to control inflammation and stave off infection. We also educate you about dietary changes that can ease symptoms. In more severe cases, we perform surgery to remove damaged sections of your intestine to bring relief.
In addition to an exam and analysis of your personal and family medical history, we use a colonoscopy to diagnose ulcerative colitis, which is also not curable, but treatment is available.
We offer detailed guidance on specific ways to reduce inflammation in your colon to help reduce your symptoms, and colon and rectum removal surgery is an option if symptoms are severe.
Please contact our Lake Worth office if you’re suffering from the life-altering symptoms of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s. Contact us at 561-753-7487 or book an appointment online.
