What is Crohn's disease?

What is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. It causes inflammation of the digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can affect various parts of the digestive tract.

The inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected intestinal tissue. Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications.

Although there is no known cure for Crohn's disease, therapies can significantly reduce its signs and symptoms and even induce remission in the long term. With treatment, many people with Crohn's disease can function well.

symptoms
  

In some people with Crohn's disease, only the last part of the small intestine (ileum) is affected. In other cases, the disease is limited to the large intestine (a part of the large intestine). The most common areas affected by Crohn's disease are the last part of the small intestine and the large intestine.

Signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease can vary from mild to severe. They usually develop gradually, but sometimes they come on suddenly, without warning. You may also have periods during which you have no complaints or symptoms (remission).

When the disease is active, the following symptoms may occur:

    Diarrhea
    Fever
    Fatigue
    Stomach pain and cramps
    Blood in your stool
    Sores in the mouth
    Reduced appetite and weight loss
    Pain or drainage near or around the anus due to inflammation of a tunnel in the skin (fistula)

Other signs and symptoms

People with severe Crohn's disease may also suffer from:

    Inflammation of the skin, eyes, and joints
    Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
    Delayed growth or sexual development in children

Causes

The exact cause of Crohn's disease remains unknown. Diet and stress were previously suspected, but doctors now know that these factors can worsen Crohn's disease but do not cause it. A number of factors, such as heredity and a poorly functioning immune system, likely play a role in its development.

Immune system

It is possible that a virus or bacterium can cause Crohn's disease. When your immune system attempts to fight off the invading microorganism, an abnormal immune response causes the immune system to also attack the cells in the digestive tract.

Heredity.

Crohn's is more common in people with family members with the disease, so genes may play a role in making people more susceptible. However, most people with Crohn's disease do not have a family history of the disease.

Risk factors

Risk factors for Crohn's disease may include:

Age. Crohn's disease can occur at any age, but you will likely develop the condition when you are young. Most people who develop Crohn's disease are diagnosed before the age of 30.

Ethnicity. Although Crohn's disease can affect any ethnic group, whites and people of Eastern European Jewish descent are at the greatest risk. However, the incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing among Black people living in North America and the United Kingdom.

Family history. You are at higher risk if you have a close family member, such as a parent, sibling, or child, with the disease. As many as 1 in 5 people with Crohn's disease have a family member with the disease.

Smoking cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes is the most important controllable risk factor for the development of Crohn's disease. Smoking also leads to more serious illness and a greater risk of surgery. If you smoke, it is important to quit.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve), diclofenac sodium (Voltaren), and others. Although they do not cause Crohn's disease, they can lead to inflammation of the intestines, causing Crohn's disease to worsen.

Environment. If you live in an urban area or an industrialized country, you have a greater chance of developing Crohn's disease. This suggests that environmental factors, including a diet high in fat or refined foods and air quality, may play a role in Crohn's disease.

Complications

Crohn's disease can lead to one or more of the following complications:

Constipation. Crohn's disease affects the thickness of the intestinal wall. Over time, parts of the intestine can scar and narrow, which can block the flow of digestive contents. You may need surgery to remove the diseased part of your intestine.

Ulcers. Chronic inflammation can lead to open sores (ulcers) anywhere in your digestive tract, including your mouth and anus and in the genital area (perineum).

Fistulas/hemorrhoids. Sometimes ulcerates completely through the intestinal wall, creating a fistula—an abnormal connection between different parts of the body. Fistulas can develop between your intestine and skin, or between your intestine and another organ. Fistulas at or around the anal area (perianal) are the most common type.

When fistulas develop in the abdomen, food can bypass parts of the intestine needed for absorption. Fistulas can occur between the lungs of the intestines, in the bladder or vagina, or through the skin, causing intestinal contents to be continuously discharged to your skin.

In some cases, a fistula can become infected and form an abscess, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Anal fissure. This is a small tear in the tissue along the anus or in the skin around the anus where infections can occur. It is often associated with painful bowel movements and can lead to a perianal fistula.

Malnutrition. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramps can make it difficult for you to eat or for your intestines to absorb sufficient nutrients to keep you nourished. It is also common to develop anemia as a result of the low iron or vitamin B-12 caused by the disease.

Bowel cancer. Having Crohn's disease, which affects your large intestine, increases your risk of bowel cancer. General guidelines for bowel cancer screening for people without Crohn's disease call for a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50. Ask your doctor if you need to have this test done sooner and more frequently.

Other health problems. Crohn's disease can cause problems in other parts of the body. Among these problems are anemia, skin conditions, osteoporosis, arthritis, and gallbladder or liver disease.

Medication risks. Certain medications for Crohn's disease that work by blocking functions of the immune system are associated with a small risk of developing cancer, such as lymphoma and skin cancer. They also increase the risk of infection.

Corticosteroids can be associated with a risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among others. Work with your doctor to determine the risks and benefits of medications.

Natural treatments for Crohn's disease

Most natural treatments for Crohn's disease are effective because they have anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore, when dealing with Crohn's disease, find out which foods are anti-inflammatory and avoid inflammation-promoting foods in any case.

Read more info here about the Crohn's disease