WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND CROHNS DISEASE?
Despite the differences between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both forms of IBD cause similar symptoms–all brought on by the chronic inflammation. Persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss: These are the hallmarks of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. And they are the same in both adults and children affected by IBD. Symptoms may appear gradually or develop very suddenly. Occasionally, severe symptoms appear to be “set off” during a mild illness, such as the flu. In retrospect, some people realize that the symptoms actually may have been present for a long time. • In Crohn’s disease, abdominal pain and diarrhea are often the earliest signs. Obvious rectal bleeding is a little less common than in ulcerative colitis. Lack of appetite, weight loss, and slowed growth also are common. Other signs of Crohn’s disease include sores in the anal area, extra folds of skin around the anal opening, and anal fistulas (tiny openings or pores from whi
