Crohn's Disease

WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE?

Crohn’s Disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the GastroIntestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s Disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhoea.

Crohn’s Disease is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the general name for diseases that cause swelling in the intestines. Because the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease are similar to other intestinal disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis, it can be difficult to diagnose. Ulcerative Colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine. In Crohn’s Disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved, and normal healthy bowel can be found between sections of diseased bowel.

Crohn’s Disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn’s Disease have a blood relative with some form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn’s Disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s Disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s Disease.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CROHN’S DISEASE?

• The symptoms vary and depend on the severity and location of the disease.
• Many patients only have mild symptoms for a long time and have often had the disease for several years before it is diagnosed.
• Periods of mild fever, sometimes with blood in the stools, and pain in the lower right part of the abdomen.
• Loss of appetite.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• Boils (cavities containing pus) and fistulas (formation of small passages that connect the intestine with other organs or the skin).
• General malaise.

WHAT MAY CAUSE CROHN’S DISEASE?

Most recent research has concentrated on mycobacteria. A diet low in fibre and high in chemicals is also suspected to have a role in the illness.

People with a family history of Ulcerative Colitis (another Inflammatory Bowel Disorder) also run a higher risk of getting the disease.

Stress is thought to exacerbate the illness which can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus.

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