Unfortunately, there are many illnesses in the world that can develop in a person’s body from birth or over time. In fact, there are so many different types of illnesses that some of them can look like one another because the symptoms are so similar or even the same. For instance, people living with asthma might experience some of the same symptoms as people who are living with COPD or bronchitis. The symptoms can be wheezing, shortness of breath, and or coughing fits that last longer than 30 seconds which can be painful. So how do you spot the difference between two illnesses with the same symptoms? Well, it may not be easy but there are many ways to spot the difference between two health conditions, and here’s how.
Is It Crohn’s Disease?
To know if it might be Crohn’s disease, there are certain symptoms and signs you have to be mindful of, but first, you have to know what Crohn’s disease is. Crohn’s disease is a type of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) that causes inflammation in your digestive tract.
It most commonly causes inflammation in the small intestine, but depending on the person, it can cause inflammation in other parts of the digestive tract. This type of disease can lead to fatigue, severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and even malnutrition.
Crohn’s disease can be extremely painful and in some instances, life-threatening. It can also spread to other parts of the bowel, which can cause even more pain and complications.
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Unfortunately, there is no cure for Crohn’s but there are therapies that can be done to lessen symptoms and bring remission.
RELATED: Self-Diagnosing: Is It Crohn’s or Just Bad Gas?
Or Is It Ulcerative Colitis?
To know and understand if it’s ulcerative colitis, you have to know what ulcerative colitis is and how it works. Ulcerative colitis is also an inflammatory bowel disease. This type of IBD causes inflammation and sores in your digestive tract. It affects the innermost lining in the large intestine (colon) and the rectum.
The symptoms usually develop over time instead of happening immediately. Ulcerative colitis is not a fatal disease but it can cause life-threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated properly. Though it has no cure, there are therapies and treatments that can lessen symptoms and bring long-term remission.
RELATED: How To Manage Ulcerative Colitis
How To Spot The Difference
The way to determine which condition is which is easy, it just takes getting to know the symptoms and the specific condition. With Crohn’s, this disease can affect the large and small intestines but most commonly affects the small intestines. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, affects the inner lining of the large intestine as well as the rectum. Ulcerative colitis also leaves sores on the inner lining of the large intestine and rectum.
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Another way to determine which disease is which is to look at the symptoms. Though this way may be a little more difficult seeing as though the symptoms may be similar to each other. Similar symptoms can be diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain, blood in your stool and weight loss.
With Crohn’s, you can experience mouth sores, but you do not experience that with ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis can also cause rectal pain and bleeding. Crohn’s may also cause kidney stones, inflammation of the skin, eyes and joints, or inflammation of the liver.
Other Conditions That Could Look Like Ulcerative Colitis
There are many other conditions that can look like ulcerative colitis besides Crohn’s disease including food poisoning, gastritis, influenza, hepatitis, appendicitis and more.
Depending on what symptoms you are experiencing, you may get confused as to which condition it actually is. The best thing to do when you don’t know what may be going on is to get a second opinion.
Seeing a doctor and telling them what your symptoms are could help you determine what you may be experiencing. It’s always good to stay on track with what’s going on with your body so pay attention and get help.
