Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). These chronic conditions cause inflammation in different parts of your GI tract. The inflammation causes IBD symptoms, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fecal incontinence
- Blood in your stool
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Weight loss
- Malnutrition
Although Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are lifelong conditions, you can live a normal life with them with the right treatment. At Rush, our IBD gastroenterologists specialize in managing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and getting them into remission. Our goal is to help you live a full, active life with IBD.
Crohn’s disease vs. ulcerative colitis
While Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are both inflammatory bowel diseases, they affect your GI system differently.
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is inflammation that can occur anywhere in your GI tract.
Often, Crohn’s affects multiple parts of your GI tract. This can include your esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon and more. If Crohn’s inflammation is present in multiple parts of your GI tract, it can be more complicated to treat.
Crohn’s is not curable, even with surgery. However, it can be well-managed and go into remission with medications, surgery or a combination of both.
What is ulcerative colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is inflammation limited to your colon and rectum.
Like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis can be well-managed and go into remission with the right treatments. It can also be cured with surgery to remove the entire colon.
How are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis diagnosed?
Getting started on the right treatment for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis begins with an accurate diagnosis. Rush’s gastroenterologists will get to the root cause of your symptoms.
Some of the tests we use to diagnose Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis could include:
- Colonoscopy: A colonoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Biopsy: During your colonoscopy, your doctor will remove a small sample of tissue from your colon to biopsy. The biopsy results can confirm if you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- Capsule endoscopy: During this noninvasive test, you will swallow a vitamin-sized capsule that has a tiny camera in it. The camera takes pictures as it passes through your digestive system, allowing your doctor to look for signs of IBD.
- Upper endoscopy: Using a small, flexible tube, your doctor can examine the upper part of your GI tract for IBD-related inflammation.
- Imaging tests: Your doctor may order an MRI, CT scan or other imaging tests to rule out other conditions that may be affecting your GI tract.
- Blood work and stool tests: These tests can help your doctor get comprehensive overview of your overall health, while looking for signs of IBD, such as anemia and blood in your stool.
These tests help your providers determine if you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and the severity of your condition. From there, your gastroenterologist may get you started on treatment. They may also refer you to our IBD doctors who have advanced training and expertise in treating Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Meet our Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis care doctors and specialists
The Rush Approach to Treating Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Your Rush team will work with you to find the right Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis treatment or combination of treatments for you. Your treatment will focus on:
- Addressing and easing your symptoms
- Getting your Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis into remission
- Improving your quality of life
- Lowering your risk for complications and hospitalization
Our IBD team will take the time to get to know you and understand your preferences. We know communication and collaboration are crucial to treating lifelong conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
When you come to Rush for IBD care, you can expect your doctor to discuss:
- Your diagnosis
- The stage and severity of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Your treatment options, including the risks and benefits of each treatment
- Support services like psychosocial support and nutritional counseling
Expertise in complex IBD
If previous Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis medications have been unsuccessful, our IBD doctors can help. Our team has advanced training and expertise in caring for complex and difficult-to-treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Rush IBD doctors participate in and lead clinical trials looking at new ways to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. That means, you may have access to treatment not yet widely available.
Second opinion for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Our IBD experts also offer second opinion services. They’ll walk you through your treatment options and will discuss:
- Your specific diagnosis and needs
- Different medications and treatment options
- Clinical trials that may be available for your specific case
- Lifestyle changes to help you live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- How your care team will work with you
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Treatments
Our goal for your treatment is to put your IBD into remission. People in remission can often live their lives without Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis symptoms for extended periods of time.
However, about 10% to 20% of people each year experience Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis flareups. Our IBD team will promptly address and manage your flareups, focusing on getting you back into remission as quickly as possible.
Your treatment will focus on managing inflammation as much as possible. This helps alleviate symptoms and reduces your risk for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis complications, like bowel obstruction, ulcers and fistulas.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Medications
Medications are the most effective treatment for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. And today, there are more medications available than ever. That means if one medication does not work for you, you’ll likely have other options.
Some of the most promising medications are biologics, also known as immunotherapies. These therapies use your own immune system to target inflammation.
At Rush, you can receive biologics as IV infusions during your appointment with your doctor. Some biologics are also available as oral pills or self-injectables you can do at home.
Your doctor will work with you to determine the right medications for you based on:
- Your overall health history
- The severity of your condition and symptoms
- The location of the inflammation in your GI tract
- Your personal preferences
How quickly Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis medications work varies. Some start working within a week or two; others may take two or three months.
Your doctor will discuss what you can expect with your specific medication plan. And if you’re not getting results, they’ll work with you to switch to a different therapy.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Clinical Trials
In recent years, there has been a surge in new Crohn’s disease and ulcerative medications. Rush’s IBD specialists lead and participate in clinical trials that are studying many of these novel treatments.
If you haven’t had success with other treatments, you may be a candidate for a clinical trial. This will give you access to medications that are not widely available yet.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Surgery
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis surgery focuses on removing the inflamed parts of your GI tract. Rush’s colon and rectal surgeons offer minimally invasive surgery that offers you a faster recovery and less pain.
Surgery may be an option for you if:
- Medications are not effectively managing your symptoms
- You’re experiencing severe symptoms or complications
Surgery to remove your colon can actually cure ulcerative colitis. But this is a major surgery. After surgery, you’ll have an ostomy, which is an opening made by your surgeon that allows stool to leave your body.
If you have surgery for Crohn’s disease, you’ll still need to take medications to reduce inflammation in your GI tract.
Additional Treatments for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
- Nonsurgical procedures: Our radiologists offer nonsurgical procedures for removing abscesses and addressing infections.
- Nutritional counseling: Rush’s IBD dietitian can help you learn what to eat and what to avoid during flareups and how to get the nutrients you need.
- Psychosocial support: Our dedicated IBD psychologist can help you cope with your diagnosis. They’ll guide you through the social and emotional challenges of living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Rush Excellence in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Care Treatment
- A focus on IBD remission. Our team is dedicated to helping you get into remission. We focus on not just helping to ease your Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis symptoms, but also improving your quality of life. Our goal is to ensure that you can go to work or school and live a life. Your care team will be your partner, addressing each challenge and flareup with expertise and compassion.
- A team focused on you. You don’t have to face IBD alone. You’ll have a team of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis experts in your corner. Your care team may include gastroenterologists, surgeons, psychologists, dietitians and a dedicated IBD pharmacist. They’ll bring their combined expertise to every aspect of your care, focusing on your specific needs and preferences.
- Exceptional care. Rush’s IBD program combines the latest IBD treatments like biologics and minimally invasive surgery with compassionate care from leaders in the field. This approach is just one reason why U.S. News & World Report ranked Rush University Medical Center among the best in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery care.
- Training future gastroenterologists: Our IBD specialists are leaders in the field. They lead and participate in research that is looking into novel ways to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. They also train future gastroenterologists, teaching them how to build relationships with patients while providing the most leading-edge care for IBD.
Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis FAQs
Yes, you can live a normal life with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with the right treatment. Although they are chronic conditions that require lifelong treatment, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis can be well-managed with medications and consistent care.
The key to effective treatment is working with doctors who have a specialized knowledge and expertise in the wide range of IBD treatments. Rush’s IBD doctors have extensive training and experience in developing treatment plans tailored to each person’s specific needs and preferences.
While the exact cause of IBD is not yet fully understood, there are several different factors involved. Studies have found that there is a strong connection between your immune system and inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. This combined with genetics and environmental factors is likely the most significant cause of these conditions.
Your diet does not cause Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In fact, that is one of the biggest misconceptions for people who have been diagnosed with these conditions. However, working with a dietitian who specializes in IBD can help you cope with your symptoms and maintain a healthy relationship with food during flareups.
Medications, including the latest biologics (immunotherapies), are the most effective treatment for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These medications focus on reducing inflammation and putting your IBD into remission.
Currently, medications are the most effective way to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There is no evidence that specific diets, herbal treatments or other non-medical treatments alone can help improve your symptoms or put you into remission.
Even if you are in remission, it is crucial to stay on your IBD medications. In fact, one of the biggest causes of flareups is when people go off their medications. If your medications are causing side effects, talk to your doctor about other treatment options for you.
Flareups can range from several days to many months. It’s important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor and work together to address flareups quickly.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Rush University Medical Center among the best in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery care.
