Let's hear from a specialist...

Hear a doctor explain the basic differences and answer some of your questions. This Youtube.com video was extremely helpful. 

The differences made clear...

This chart (also shown below) contains some concise and helpful basic differences between Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis.

 

	Ulcerative Colitis	Crohn's Disease
Average age of onset	Late teens and twenties	Late teens and twenties
Site of inflammation	Colon and rectum	Anywhere from the mouth to the rectum; most commonly in the small and/or large intestines
Number of people in the U.S. with this condition	About 500,000	About 500,000
Common symptoms during active stages	Bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramping, rectal bleeding	Diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramping
Medications used for treatment	5-ASAs,steroids, other medications as prescribed by a doctor	Currently there are no drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat symptoms of mild Crohn's disease. However, medication is available to reduce the symptoms of moderate and severe cases. Ask your doctor for more information.

A few pointers...

Any kind of IBD will have a serious impact of emotions of the diagnosed person and the ones surrounding them. Therefore appropriate medical attention is imperative, but some type of counseling may also be beneficial to relieve stress in such a difficult time. 

Find a specialist with whom you feel comfortable and trust. Make sure they listen to concerns you have. Don't be afraid to ask questions until you understand. 

There are several good books out on the market which really helped my family and I understand the in's and out's of the impact of Ulcerative Colitis on day to day living. Take a look at some cookbooks especially for IBD. We found that changing diet, though it may not be a cure, can make things a little better. As a family, we changed our eating habits in order to make it easier. 

I hope these simple tips help a little. 

What is Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's Disease is another type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Ulcers caused by this disease can potentially affect the entire digestive system from the mouth to the anus; however, the most common area affected is the ileum which is part of the lower small intestine. 

Crohn's typically runs in families and presents with bloody diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. The treatments for Crohn's disease is similar to that of Ulcerative Colitis in terms of diet changes, steroids, and surgery. However, surgery does not necessarily cure it. 

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What Is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative Colitis is a one disease under the category of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.  People with this UC have ulcers that form on the lining of their colon (a.k.a. the large intestine) that cause inflammation along the digestive track. As a result they suffer from rectal bleeding and possible abdominal pain. 

Ulcerative Colitis can be treated through diet changes, steroids, enemas, and surgical intervention as a last resort. This surgery in which surgeons remove part or all of the colon is called an ileostomy. For most cases of UC patients can be cured after this surgery. 

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Here's what I thought about some pertinent websites...

Government Resources

• Medlineplus is a website chalk full of information on relatively every topic in medicine known to man. It is a very helpful, easy to use site, especially for the lay person with little medical knowledge. MedlinePlus provides links to top organizations and government agencies on the issue which you are researching. Because this is a website sponsored by the government the information is reliable. I really liked how recent the medical advice and information is as well as how my nerves could be calmed through understanding promoted by the tutorials and even surgery videos. It gave helpful pictures of the digestive system which is extremely useful to understanding the anatomy of Crohn's disease and/or Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or any other Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). (10)
  
• Health.gov is definitely a government website, it lacks the frills of private websites. However, it is a wealth of knowledge with links to many top websites related to healthcare and medicine. This is more of a database which leads to various links instead having the information directly on the Health.gov site. The purpose that it is  "a portal to the Web sites of a number of multi-agency health initiatives and activities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other Federal departments and agencies." (8)

Educational Resources

• Boston University sponsors a website as a tool for families and those who suffer from Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis. It is a regularly updated site with a long history on the Internet. This was not an elaborate pretty website but it does provide useful information on things like scholarships, support groups, as well as awareness and fundraising events for research. This is less of a medical site and caters more to an audience who already knows and has an understanding of the illness but who need extra support beyond medicine. (5)
• Another good website with great pictures regarding the gross anatomy of the diseases is one sponsored by the University of Utah. The website specializes in IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) which both Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis fall under. Similar to the other websites I've evaluated so far, this one has little color and excitement. I suppose that is because of the nature of the topic because it is not the most exciting problem to have, the colors seem to reflect that. The information is less user friendly to the lay person simply because of the technical language used, otherwise however it is a wonderful resource.  (7)

Commercial Resources

• About.com offers a terrific website on The Difference Between Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This is a very important distinction to be aware of because the final course of treatment can vary based on which branch of IBD it is. This site is more lively yet still very informative and serious. The layout is simple but good, and it has videos to help define both UC and Crohn's. This website has a defined author and a medical reviewer, so it is both reliable and if I have a question, I know where I can go to get it answered. (6)
• The Mayo Clinic is a renown treatment center in the U.S. for people suffering with IBD namely Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis. They have provided a useful site with a description of what these illnesses look like as well as various treatment options and doctors to contact. It is regularly updated and contains recent medical advances in this field. The layout is great with step-by-step information of when to seek further help and how to deal with all that comes with IBD. These are the experts in this field of medicine. (10)

Organizational Resources

• The CCFA (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America) is a great source of information and support for anyone living with these chronic illnesses. It works similarly to any other large foundation that promotes research and fundraising for research and awareness of colitis in general. This is the most exciting website I have been to dealing with IBD, it has nice color and is extremely user friendly. It has quick tabs to every kind of information that would be important and necessary such as finding physicians, how to donate, how to help spread information, and new research. It has information just for kids, too.  (10)
• DisabilityResources.org recognizes that people living with IBD do have a disability. This is a colorful interactive site with useful information. This also is more of a site which points people in the right direction to other more informative sites. (6)

I hope this information is useful to you as you start learning more about Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases! Many of these websites have been useful to me and my family.