| What is Crohn's
Disease?
Crohn's disease causes
inflammation in the small intestine. Crohn's disease usually
occurs in the lower part of the small intestine, called the
ileum, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract,
from the mouth to the anus. The inflammation extends deep
into the lining of the affected organ. The inflammation can
cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently,
resulting in diarrhea.
Crohn's disease is an
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for
diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. Crohn's
disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms
are similar to other intestinal disorders such as irritable
bowel syndrome and to another type of IBD called ulcerative
colitis. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers
in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine.
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 IBD, most often a brother or
sister and sometimes a parent or child.
Crohn's disease is chronic.
We don't know its cause. Medication currently available
decreases inflammation and usually controls the symptoms,
but does not provide a cure. Because Crohn's disease behaves
similarly to ulcerative colitis, from which it may be
difficult to differentiate, the two disorders are grouped
together as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Unlike Crohn's
disease, in which all layers of the intestine are involved,
and in which there can be normal healthy bowel in between
patches of diseased bowel, ulcerative colitis affects only
the innermost lining (mucosa) of the colon in a continuous
manner.
Depending on where the
involvement occurs, Crohn's disease may be referred to as
Ileitis, regional enteritis, or colitis, etc. To lessen the
confusion, the term Crohn's disease can be used to identify
the disease wherever it occurs in the body (ileum, colon,
rectum, anus, stomach, duodenum, etc.). It is referred to as
Crohn's disease because Burrill B. Crohn was the first name
in a three-author landmark paper published in 1932, which
described the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal
pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea.
These symptoms follow a meal. Loss of appetite and weight,
joint pains, and fever are common early signs of Crohn's
disease can include sores in the anal area, including skin
tags mimicking hemorrhoids, fissures (cracks), fistulas
(abnormal openings connecting the bowel to the skin surface
near the anus), and abscesses. Bleeding may be serious and
persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn's disease
may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. Rectal
bleeding, weight loss, and fever may also occur.
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