Inflammatory illnesses of the colon include colitis and diverticulitis. Colitis is the inflammation of the colon. Diverticulitis is the inflammation of the colon’s diverticula. Both of these conditions are inflammatory. It falls into the group of digestive illnesses in general. To hasten the healing of the colon, it is occasionally necessary to start the patient on a steroid.
Colitis vs Diverticulitis
The main difference between colitis and diverticulitis is that colitis affects the colon, whereas diverticulitis affects the diverticula. Infections, a lack of blood supply, or chronic disorders can all cause colitis. The exact cause of diverticulitis is unknown. Some research shows that excessive intake of medicines that are nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory can cause this disease.
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon‘s inner lining. Infection, inflammatory bowel illness, ischemic colitis, allergic reactions, and tiny colitis are just some of the causes of colitis. Colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon’s inner lining that causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and blood in the stool.
Diverticulitis, particularly colonic diverticulitis, is a gastrointestinal condition. It can form in the wall of the large intestine and can cause inflammation of the diverticula. An inflammatory diverticulum can rupture in complex diverticulitis, allowing bacteria to invade the colon externally. In the Western world, the disease is frequent, but it is rare in Africa and Asia.
Comparison Table Between Colitis and Diverticulitis
| Parameters of Comparison | Colitis | Diverticulitis |
| Definition | Colitis can irritate the inner layer of the colon and it also affects the digestive system. | Diverticulitis is the occurrence of diverticulum inflammation, especially in the colon and bowel range. |
| Location | Rectum,colon,lower intestine. | Lower abdomen. |
| Symptoms | Severe stomach discomfort and soreness, diarrhea, fecal incontinence, flatulence, exhaustion, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss are all symptoms of this condition. | lower quadrant abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, and blood in the stool. |
| Diagnostic method | Colon X-rays, stool testing, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. | A stool test, CT scan, colonoscopy. |
| Types | Ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, pseudomembranous colitis, ischemic colitis, and crohn’s colitis. | Simple or Complicated. |
| Risk of Cancer | High risk of cancer. | Minor risk of cancer. |
What is Colitis?
The colon, often known as the large intestine, is inflamed in colitis. If you have colitis, you’ll have abdominal discomfort and pain that can range from mild to severe and arrive quickly. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are known as chronic sources of colitis.
Colitis does not have a nutritional treatment or cure. However, finding a balance between getting the nutrients, you need and avoiding foods that tend to aggravate your symptoms might help you manage the disease. Crohn’s disease and microscopic colitis are two kinds of colitis for which there is now no cure.
The colon is home to several microorganisms that coexist with the body and cause no symptoms. Shigella, Campylobacter, Ecoli, Escherichia, and Yersinia species are the most common bacteria that cause colitis. Other kinds of colitis, such as bacterial enteritis, can be “cured,” frequently with the use of certain antibiotics.
Colitis treatment is determined by the underlying cause and is frequently centered on symptom reduction, supportive care, appropriate hydration, and pain control. To treat infectious causes of colitis, antibiotics may be prescribed.
What is Diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is a type of colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel illness. It can be serious and necessitate surgery if not treated promptly. Sharp pain in the lower left abdomen is the most prevalent sign of diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis develops when the thin necks of the diverticula get clogged with debris or indigestible foodstuff, and bacteria thrive in the blind sacs, unrestrained by the normal motor activity that maintains the intestine clean. When the sacs swell, the neighboring intestinal wall becomes irritated and irritable, muscle spasms ensue, and the patient suffers from stomach pain and fever.
There is some indication that patients with diverticula, which is a precursor to acute diverticulitis, have low-grade chronic inflammation. It’s thought that a shift in the flora, combined with a reduction in their influence on the immune system, allows for low-grade chronic inflammation in the mucosa, which is the first step toward establishing an acute diverticulum or diverticulitis infection.
Digestion diverticulosis affects a large number of people in affluent western countries. Although most people with diverticular illness are asymptomatic, 10 to 25 percent of patients with diverticulosis develop diverticulitis. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of individuals who have diverticulitis go on to have serious complications. 1–3 Diverticulitis accompanied with abscess, fistula, blockage, phlegmon, bleeding, or perforation is described as complicated diverticular disease.
Main Differences Between Colitis and Diverticulitis
- Colitis can cause inflammation of the inner layer of the colon, and it is a serious digestive disease. However, diverticulitis is a stomach disease and can cause pain of the diverticula, which can develop in the walls of the large intestine.
- Diarrhea, incontinence, and flatulence are some of the most common symptoms of colitis. Distinctive symptoms of diverticulitis include stomach discomfort, fever, vomiting, constipation with blood in the stool.
- Colitis can be of different types, such as ulcerative colitis, crohn’s, microscopic, ischemic, and pseudomembranous colitis. While diverticulitis can be simple or uncomplicated. Complicated type.
- Inflammation in ulcerative colitis starts in the rectum and may spread to the colon. While the pain of diverticulitis is usually felt on the left side of your lower abdomen.
- A person’s cancer risk increases by around 0.5 percent to 1 percent every year after 8–10 years of having ulcerative colitis. Diverticulitis, on the other hand, is associated with a very low risk of cancer.
Conclusion
To maintain excellent health and nutrition, a healthy diet can help. Many chronic non-communicable illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer can be prevented by maintaining a good lifestyle. A variety of foods and a limitation in salt intake are necessary for a healthy diet.
In most cases, UC (Ulcerative colitis) is diagnosed in persons aged 15 to 30 or beyond the age of 60. Most persons over 40 will get diverticulosis, and around half of those over 60 will develop it. It affects almost everyone over the age of 80. As the third most frequent gastrointestinal condition requiring hospitalization, diverticulitis accounts for a majority of the cases of colon resections performed as a result of elective surgery.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1981500/
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmcp073228