Crohns Disease
What is Crohns Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a disorder that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal system, which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. Most commonly it affects the ileum, which is the lower part of the small intestine, where it causes painful swelling of the intestinal lining. Although many people experience periods of remission, the disease has no cure. Treatment revolves around relief of Crohn’s disease pain, relief of other symptoms, and treatment of complications.
Crohn’s disease is one of two inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) or diseases that cause inflammation of the intestinal tract. It differs from the other IBD, ulcerative colitis, in several ways. First, inflammation in Crohn’s disease can be discontinuous. Second, Crohn’s disease affects all layers of the intestinal wall; ulcerative colitis affects only the intestinal lining. Third, Crohn’s disease usually affect the small intestine; ulcerative colitis is usually limited to the large intestine.
Crohn’s disease is usually diagnosed in patients ages 15 to 35. Inflammatory bowel diseases appear to run in families, so having a relative with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis makes a person more likely to develop Crohn’s disease.
Symptoms and Complications
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease vary from patient to patient, but may include:
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abdominal cramps
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severe abdominal pain
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diarrhea
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fever
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difficulty eating
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weight loss
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fatigue
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mucus in bowel movements
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Crohn’s disease causes severe inflammation of the intestinal tract, which can lead to ulceration and scarring. Ulceration and scarring can lead, in turn, to:
bowel obstruction: formation of a blockage in the intestine. In Crohn’s disease, an obstruction can be caused by swelling of the intestinal walls and/or formation of scar tissue in the intestines
malnutrition: Crohn’s disease severely impairs the intestines’ ability to absorb nutrients.
abcess formation: formation of a pocket of infection on the intestinal wall.
fistula formation: formation of ulcers that penetrate the intestinal wall, creating “tunnels” between the intestines and other body tissues. Fistulas give intestinal bacteria access to other parts of the body, which can cause serious infections.
Crohn’s Disease Treatments Treatment for Crohn’s disease focuses on dealing with the symptoms and complications caused by the disease. Surgery is used to treat complications such as blockage, intestinal bleeding, perforation, and abscesses. The affected portion of the intestines is removed. This can help deal with Crohn’s disease symptoms and complications, but does not cure the disease. There are also a number of drug treatments that target the underlying inflammation seen in Crohn’s disease:
Other treatments focus on dealing with fluid loss and malnutrition:
Crohn’s Disease: Diet and Nutrition Because Crohn’s disease can decrease appetite as well as interfere with the intestines’ ability to absorb nutrients, Crohn’s disease patients need to take special care to follow a nutritious diet. No particular diet has proven effective in treating Crohn’s disease. However, many people with the disease find that particular foods such as milk and spicy foods seem to worsen their symptoms. Patients should take nutritional and vitamin supplements only with their doctor’s direction. Crohn’s Disease: Additional Information The following organizations can provide additional information on Crohn’s disease:
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