These disorders are similar in that they inflame and damage the intestines. However, they each affect different portions of the intestines and cause different types of inflammation. Crohn's disease may affect any part of the digestive tract. However, it most often develops where the large and small intestines meet. Ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining of the colon, which is the lower part of the large intestine, and almost always extends into the rectum as well.
Ulcerative colitis is more common in the United States than Crohn's disease.
However, Crohn's disease is on the rise. The most common age group in which either of these diseases appears is from 15 to 35. Inflammatory bowel disease may disappear for long periods of time, with no symptoms at all. Inflammatory bowel disease must be diagnosed by a doctor, based on information obtained from several tests, including an upper and lower GI series and or barium enema, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Access Health, Inc.