Crohn’s disease is a condition which causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It can occur anywhere in the GI tract; but is predominant in the lower part of the small intestine, in the ileum. This swelling reaches the lining of the affected organ to cause pain and leads to the frequent emptying of intestines to lead to diarrhea.

Crohn’s disease is referred by different names depending on the inflammation that occurs in different parts of the intestine. Inflammation that is found in the end of the small intestine is referred to as Crohn’s terminal ileitis and Crohn’s entero-coilitis and ileo-colitis are the terms used to describe the inflammation of the small intestine and colon. In both cases of Crohn’s disease, a small intestinal obstruction, diarrhea and abdominal pain are the common symptoms.

As the symptoms of Crohn’s disease are similar to other intestinal disorders, they are difficult to diagnose. Sufferers usually have all the layers of the intestine involved in the infection where there may also be healthy bowel found in between the sections of diseased bowel. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, arthritis, skin problems, fever and sometimes persistent bleeding that leads to anemia.

Crohn’s disease is a life long condition where there are flare ups of the symptoms that tend to alternate with periods of remission. There is no actual trigger for a relapse but when a person suffers from symptoms of Crohn’s disease it indicates that the disease is active.

Diarrhea that arises from Crohn’s disease may contain blood, pus or mucus that may go up to 10 or 20 times a day, even at night. This may in turn lead to painful tears or fissures developing around the anus. The pain in the abdomen associated with Crohn’s disease is referred to be cramping or colicky. In such cases, the abdomen becomes sore to the touch, and tends to swell up.

Weight loss is another symptom of Crohn’s disease that is a consequence of diarrhea and the loss of appetite a person develops when suffering from Crohn’s disease. Another symptom of Crohn’s disease is mouth ulcers, joint pain, inflammation in the eyes and rashes or ulcers that are found on the skin.

A chronic sufferer of Crohn’s disease experiences severe inflammation complications which includes fistula which is an abnormal connection that exists between the bowel and a part near the bowel like the bladder, vagina or loop of bowel. These fistulas can lead to recurrent infections of the urinary genital tracts.

Some people suffer from other complications like abscesses that form inside the abdomen or perhaps a stricture that tends to obstruct the passage of bowel movements. And a person, who has suffered from Crohn’s disease for eight to ten years, faces an increased risk of getting bowel cancer.

As it can be seen there are numerous symptoms to Crohn’s disease which are similar to a case of indigestion and piles it is necessary to have a check up with recurrence of the symptoms. This is to prevent complications that may lead to bowel cancer.



Thanks to Sharon Price for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Can you answer Christina S’s question about IBS?:

A. the cause of Crohn’s disease is known, whereas the cause of ulcerative coitis isnt known.
B. Ulcreative colitis is remitting, whereas Crohns disease is constant.
C.Patints with both conditions benefit equally well from surgery.
D. Crohns disease can be found anywhere in the digestive tract whereas ulcraive colitis is generally found in the colon and rectum.

Ibs Trigger Foods

 

Crohn’s disease (also known as regional enteritis) is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is generally classified as an autoimmune disease. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus as a result, the symptoms of Crohn’s disease vary among afflicted individuals. The disease is characterized by areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining between in a symptom known as skip lesions. The main gastrointestinal symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody, though this may not be visible to the naked eye), constipation, vomiting, weight loss or weight gain.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn’s disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. The range and severity of symptoms varies.

Blood in your stool. Food moving through your digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue to bleed, or your bowel may also bleed on its own.

Feeling generally unwell - fever and extreme tiredness,

Loss of appetite and weight,

What causes Crohn’s disease?

The cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. Some scientists suspect that infection by certain bacteria, such as strains of mycobacterium, may be the cause of Crohn’s disease. To date, however, there has been no convincing evidence that the disease is caused by infection. Crohn’s disease is not contagious.

The body’s immune system, which protects it against many different infections, is known to be a factor. There are still a number of unknowns about the cause of the disease. Fortunately, a great deal is known about the disease and especially its treatment.

Treatment of Crohn’s disease

Biologic therapies. In August 1998, the FDA approved the first biologic therapy for Crohn’s disease. This was infliximab (Remicade®), which is indicated for moderately to severely active Crohn’s in patients who have not responded adequately to conventional therapy.

Crohn’s disease makes it hard for your body to absorb nutrients from food. A meal plan that focuses on high-calorie, high-protein foods can help you get the nutrients you need. Eating this way may be easier if you have regular meals plus two or three snacks each day.

Steroids are generally used for people who have more severe disease. In more aggressive disease, steroids may be used with immunosuppressants or with a newer medicine called infliximab (brand name: Remicade). If you have very severe Crohn’s disease, you may need to stay in the hospital. Sometimes surgery is needed, but it cannot cure the disease.

Drug Therapy

Drugs are used to suppress the inflammatory response associated with Crohn’s disease, which in turn helps the intestines to heal and relieves symptoms. Once symptoms are under control, medications are used to decrease the frequency of flare-ups and prevent symptoms from recurring. There are several types of drugs available to treat Crohn’s disease including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immune modifiers and biologic therapy.



Thanks to peterhutch for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Feline Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Can you answer nygirl’s question about IBS?:

How to recognize Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis right away?
I appreciate your help.

Diet For Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The Crohn disease causes the digesting system the inflammation. It the group disease is called the excited intestines disease one by one. The Crohn disease possibly affects any gastro-intestinal tract the part from the mouth the anus. The inflation extends deeply penetrates the organ lining which affects. The inflation causes the pain, possibly frequently causes the intestine to be spatial, creates the diarrhea. The Crohn disease equally affects the person and the woman and runs as if in some families. Probably the person 20% has the blood relative by the Crohn disease by some kind of excited intestines disease form.

But it is diagnosised more frequent in the peoples between the ages of 20 and 30. The peoples of heritage jewish have an increased risk to develop the illness of Crohn, and the African Americans are in the diminished risk to develop the illness of Crohn. The illness of Crohn is associated with a type of illness rheumatologic known as spondyloarthropathy seronegative. The complications of the illness of Crohn can be related to the intestinal illness or to occur in areas unrelated to intestines. The complications intestinal of the illness of Crohn include the blockage of bowel, the perforation of bowel, the formation of fistulae of the collections of put it.

Extra-intestinal complications include tender, raised, reddish skin nodules and inflammation. Mutations in the CARD15 gene are associated with Crohn’s disease. Nutritional complications are common in Crohn’s disease. Deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins are well documented. Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn’s disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth.

The range and severity of symptoms varies. Crohn’s disease may also involve the skin, blood, and endocrine system. Treatment of crohn’s disease may include medicines, nutrition supplements and surgery. Medications include 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) formulations , prednisone, immunomodulators such as azathioprine, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, infliximab, adalimumab and natalizumab. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine caused by stricture, fistulas, or prior surgery. Supplementation of calcium, folate and vitamin B12 is helpful when malabsorption of these nutrients is apparent.



Thanks to Juliet Cohen for contributing this article to our IBS blog:

Crohns Disease And Ulcerative Colitis