Crohn's Disease

What Is It?

Crohn's disease, also known as regional ileitis, can affect the small intestine, large intestine, anus, and mouth, causing a variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss. Rashes, arthritis, and swollen eyes are additional symptoms of the condition. The disease was classified nearly eighty years ago by several American doctors, including gastroenterologist Burrill Bernard Crohn.

Types

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Experts will categorize the disease by affected area. There are five types of Crohn's disease.

Symptoms & Warning Signs

Many Crohn's patients experience symptoms for months or years before they have an official diagnosis. Primary symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, exhaustion, and chronic diarrhea. Crohn's patients might also experience gas and bloating, blood clotting problems, constipation, swollen eyes, internal bleeding, arthritis, kidney stones, liver disease, appetite loss, nausea, pain when defecating, rectal bleeding, blood in stools, rashes, inflamed gums, and drastic weight loss. Fistulas, abnormal connections between organs are another symptom and result in pus, mucus, and stool drainage.

Causes & Risk Factors

It is believed that Crohn's disease has both a genetic and environmental link. Your family's medical history provides an indicator of whether you are at risk. Smokers are also a high risk group for the disease. Both men and women are equally at risk. All people with Crohn's disease are at risk for cancer, infection, and malnutrition. It is believed that Crohn's disease patients have a genetic abnormality in their immune system.

Prevention & Treatment

Crohn's disease has no cure, and no treatments are available to extend periods of remission. Experts believe that a combination of medication, lifestyle adjustments, and surgery can help control the disease. It is possible for patients to live a normal life.

Antibiotics, steroids and anti-inflammatory medications are frequently prescribed to treat Crohn's disease. Diet and hydration can also help relieve symptoms. It is recommended that a Crohn's patient monitors his or her dietary and fluid intake to keep track of what might be causing flare ups.

Tests & Diagnosis

Crohn's disease is difficult to diagnose, which is why patients are frequently misdiagnosed with other conditions that cause similar symptoms. The most effective test is a colonoscopy, which involves a doctor examining the colon and small bowel with a camera. During the colonoscopy, the doctor will take a biopsy for laboratory tests. The majority of Crohn's disease cases are diagnosed with a colonoscopy.