What is Crohn’s Disease

If you’ve just been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, or even if you’ve had it for years, you would likely be wondering what it is and what it means for you.

Crohn’s Disease is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that causes inflammation of your digestive tract. It can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, and often spreads into the deeper layers of the bowel. It happens when parts or all the lining of these areas becomes inflamed, which is a usual immune response to fighting off invaders (such as bacteria). The difficulty with Crohn’s is that the inflammation continues, which can damage the walls of the digestive tract.

Doctors still aren’t sure exactly what causes Crohn’s Disease, but genes, other immune disorders and environmental factors may all increase the risk.

It can happen at any age but is normally diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30.

Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease

There are several tests that can be used in the diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease. A combination of the following may be used:

Blood tests
Stool studies
Colonoscopy
CT scanning
MRI
Capsule endoscopy
Balloon-assisted enteroscopy

Your doctor will use the results of these tests to determine whether you have Crohn’s or not.

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Common symptoms of Crohn’s Disease include:

Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Blood in your stool
Cramping
Fatigue
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Fever

Crohn’s may cause other issues such as:

Bowel obstruction
Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones)
Fistulas
Ulcers, anywhere from the mouth to the anus
Inflammation of the liver, skin, joints and eyes

The severity of symptoms will vary over time, and in each person. A person can experience flare ups and periods of remission.

Treatment of Crohn’s Disease

Treatment has come a long way in the last few decades, however there is no current cure. Treatment will depend on the severity of the disease in each person, and often include a combination of: