Crohn’s Disease is a painful and debilitating condition that affects your digestive system and gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) similar to ulcerative colitis. Like other inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s Disease causes pain, discomfort, and swelling of the digestive tract.
Most people with Crohn’s Disease will struggle with severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea. Because it also causes severe stomach pain, people with Crohn’s may struggle with malnutrition, weight loss, and fatigue. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure for Crohn’s Disease. However, with treatment and medication, people with Crohn’s have gone on to live healthy, functional lives.
Crohn’s Disease, like other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, causes swelling in your digestive tract. While it can cause pain and inflammation to any part of the system, it most commonly affects the colon and large and small intestines. Here are some of the most common symptoms experienced by those with Crohn’s Disease.
While symptoms vary slightly with Crohn’s Disease, it’s always a painful, debilitating condition. In severe cases, it can lead to kidney stones, gallbladder infections, anaemia, and liver inflammation. You should contact a doctor immediately if you experience bloody stool, unexpected weight loss, or extremes of any of the other symptoms mentioned above.
Unfortunately, medical experts don’t know the exact cause of Crohn’s Disease. However, a few risk factors could increase the likelihood that you’ll develop the condition.
One of the newest theories about what causes Crohn’s Disease is that a virus or bacterium in your immune system triggers it. The theory is that when this virus infects you, your immune system starts fighting back but ends up attacking your digestive tract instead. However, this theory is only speculative and without concrete proof.
Anyone can get Crohn’s Disease at any age. However, most cases of Crohn’s Disease are diagnosed in people under 30. While possible, it’s less common for people over 30 to develop the condition.
If someone in your family had Crohn’s Disease, there’s a better chance you’ll also have it.
Crohn’s Disease is a worldwide condition that doesn’t infect people based on race. However, Crohn’s is more common in white people, especially those of Eastern European, British, and Jewish descent.
Smoking cigarettes increases your chances of getting Crohn’s Disease.
Recent studies are finding that people who live in highly industrialized cities are more likely to develop Crohn’s Disease.
There are several tests your doctor will perform if they suspect that you have Crohn’s Disease.
Using one or more of these tests, your doctor can confirm whether or not you have Crohn’s Disease.
While there’s no known cure to completely heal Crohn’s Disease, many treatments and medications can help you manage the condition.
There are a number of medications and antibiotics that can be prescribed to relieve the pain and swelling caused by Crohn’s Disease.
Nutrition therapy is a common treatment for Crohn’s Disease. Nutrition therapy will involve a special diet, fasting, and other eating changes to ease the pain and swelling in your digestive tract.
In serious cases, surgery may be necessary to repair parts of your digestive tract.