Knowing Cronh's Disease
Crohn's
disease is a type of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) that causes swelling and
irritation of the tissues, called inflammation, in the digestive tract. Crohn's
can lead to belly pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.
The
inflammation often spreads into the deeper layers of the bowel. Inflammation
caused by Crohn's disease can affect different areas of the digestive tract in
different people. Crohn's most commonly affects the end of the small intestine
and the beginning of the large intestine.
Talk
to your healthcare provider about the steps you can take to keep the disease in
check. With the right treatment and lifestyle changes, you can manage symptoms,
avoid complications and live an active life.
Crohn's
disease, but therapies can greatly reduce its symptoms and even bring about
long-term remission and healing of inflammation.
Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating. Sometimes, it may lead to serious or life-threatening complications. On treating properly, Crohn's disease most patients can function well.
Is there a cure for Crohn’s disease in any therapy?
There isn’t a cure for Crohn’s disease I modern medicine.
Once the patient diagnosed, they’ll work closely with some healthcare provider
to treat the disease, manage symptoms and prevent complications. That is, the treatment
can promote your long-term health. However if you follow integrated medicine approach
with ancient therapies wisdom you may get the desired results.
How about the life expectancy of the patient with Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease isn’t fatal, and people with Crohn’s disease
can live just as long as people without it. However, on managing your condition
to prevent Crohn’s complications is important since this disease can increase
your risk of certain conditions. For example, regular colonoscopies can catch
colon cancer early while it is treatable.
What shall I ask the physician about my Crohn’s problem?
You should I
ask the physician about Crohn’s problem as:
- What diet should I take?
- What medications should I avoid?
- What form of Crohn’s disease do I have?
- What’s the best Crohn’s treatment?
- How can I prevent bloating?
- Can my family members take steps to lower their risk of Crohn’s disease?
When should I call my provider?
You should
call your healthcare provider if you experience:
- Fever
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Weight Loss
- Blood in your stool
- Inability to pass gas
- Nausea and vomiting
- Severe abdominal pain
- Uncontrollable diarrhea
- Weakness or fatigue (which might be indicating anemia).
Complications associated with Crohn's Disease?
Crohn's disease may lead to one or more of the following complications:
• Anal fissure: This is a small tear in the tissue that lines the anus or in the skin around the anus where infections can occur. It's often associated with painful stool and may lead to a fistula.
• Bowel blockage or obstruction. Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the intestinal wall. Over time, parts of the bowel can scar and narrow, which may block the flow of digestive contents, often known as a stricture. Surgery to widen the stricture or to remove the diseased portion of the bowel may be necessary.
• Ulcers. Ongoing inflammation can lead to open sores called ulcers anywhere in the digestive tract. This can include the mouth, anus and genital area.
• Fistulas. Sometimes ulcers can extend completely through the intestinal wall, creating a connection between different body parts that shouldn't be there. This is known as a fistula. Fistulas can develop between the intestine and the skin, or between the intestine and another organ. Fistulas near or around the anal area are the most common kind.
When fistulas develop inside the abdomen, it may lead to infections and collections of pus called abscesses. This can be life-threatening if not treated.
Fistulas may form between loops of bowel, in the bladder or vagina, or through the skin, causing continuous drainage of bowel contents to the skin.
• Malnutrition. Diarrhea, belly pain and cramping may make it difficult to eat or for the intestine to absorb enough nutrients. It's also common to develop anemia due to low iron or vitamin B-12 caused by the disease.
• Colon cancer. Having Crohn's disease that affects the colon increases the risk of colon cancer. General colon cancer screening guidelines for people without Crohn's disease call for a colonoscopy at least every 10 years beginning at age 45.
In people with Crohn's disease affecting a large part of the colon, a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer is recommended about eight years after disease onset and generally is performed every 1 to 2 years afterward.
Ask a therapy professional whether you need to have this test done sooner and more frequently.
• Medicine risks: Certain Crohn's disease medicines that block functions of the immune system are associated with a small risk of developing cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancers. They also increase the risk of infections.
• Skin disorders: Many people with Crohn's disease also may develop a condition called hidradenitis suppurativa. This skin disorder involves deep nodules, tunnels and abscesses in the armpits, groin, under the breasts, and in the perianal or genital area. Some Crohn's disease treatments also increase the risk of skin cancers, so a routine skin examination is recommended.
• Blood clots: Crohn's disease increases the risk of blood clots in veins and arteries.
• Other health problems: Crohn's disease also can cause problems in other parts of the body. Among these problems are low iron, called anemia, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney stones, eye problems, and gallbladder or liver disease.
Corticosteroids can be associated with a risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other conditions. Work with a healthcare professional to determine risks and benefits of medicines.
What problems women with Crohn’s disease face during pregnancy?
Most women with Crohn’s disease have healthy pregnancies.
Your therapist may recommend trying to conceive while the disease is in
remission and coordinating with a treatment team including your Crohn’s
provider and obstetrics team.
Flare-ups while pregnancy of women may increase risk of:
- Miscarriage, before 20 weeks
- Low weight of newborn child below less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces
- Premature labor or childbirth before the 37th week of pregnancy
What are the different types of Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the human digestive tract, from mouth to your anus (anal hole). Most commonly, it causes inflammation in small and/or large intestines.
The types of Crohn’s disease commonly include:
- Colitis: Inflammation in the lining of large intestine.
- Ileitis: Swelling and inflammation in small intestine (ileum).
- Ileocolitis: Inflammation in lower small intestine and part of the large intestine. This is the most common type of Crohn’s disease.
- Jejunitis: Patchy areas of inflammation in the upper half of small intestine (the jejunum).
- Perianal disease: Some number of patients have inflammation around the anus, which can cause fistulas and abscesses.
- Gastroduodenal: Inflammation and irritation that affects the stomach and the top of small intestine (the duodenum).
When shall I see a doctor for Crohn’s diseaase?
See
a healthcare professional if you have ongoing changes in your bowel habits or
if you have any symptoms of Crohn's disease, such as:
• Belly pain
• Blood in the stool
• Nausea and vomiting
• Losing weight without trying
• Diarrhea lasting more than 2 weeks
• Fever in along with to any of the above
symptoms
What are the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?
Most
symptoms of Crohn's disease typically include:
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Mouth sores
• Blood in the stool
• Belly pain and cramping
• Reduced appetite and weight loss
• Type of pain or drainage near or around
the anus due to inflammation from a tunnel into the skin, called fistula
Crohn's
disease can affect any part of the small or large intestine. It most commonly
involves the last part of the small intestine. In some people, the disease is
only in the colon or the large intestine. It may involve multiple segments, or
it may be continuous.
Symptoms
of Crohn's disease can range from mild to severe. Someone with Crohn's disease
also may have periods of time with no symptoms. This is known as remission.
They usually develop gradually, but sometimes might come on suddenly, without
warning.
Other symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Patients
with severe Crohn's disease also may experience symptoms outside of the
intestinal tract, including:
• Kidney stones
• Iron deficiency, called anemia
• Inflammation of skin, eyes and joints
• Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
• Delayed growth or sexual development in
some children
What are the Causes of Disease?
The
exact cause of Crohn's disease is thought to be unknown. Lately, diet and
stress were suspected. However, now healthcare professionals know that these
factors may aggravate it, but don't cause Crohn's disease. Several factors
altogether may play a role in this disease development.
• Immune system: When the immune system
tries to fight off an invading microorganism or environmental triggers, an
atypical immune response causes the immune system to attack the cells in the
digestive tract, too. It's possible that bacteria, viruses or other
environmental factors may trigger Crohn's disease. For e.g., certain bacteria
in the gut microbiome are suspected to be responsible for Crohn's disease, but
it is unknown if these bacteria can cause Crohn's disease.
• Genes: Above 200 genes are suspected to
be associated with Crohn's disease. However, researchers aren't exactly sure
what role they play in the condition. Having one or more of these genes may
make one more likely to get Crohn's disease.
What are the Risk Factors associated with Crohn’s Disease?
Risk factors for Crohn's disease may include:
• Family
history: People with a first-degree relative, such as a parent, sibling or
child, are at higher risk to have the disease. As many as 1 in 5 people with
Crohn's disease has a family member with the disease.
• Age: Crohn's
disease can happen at any age, but it's more common to develop the condition
when you're young. Most people who develop Crohn's disease are diagnosed before
they're around 30 years old.
• Ethnicity.
Although Crohn's disease can affect any ethnic group: white people have the
highest risk, especially people of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish descent.
However, the incidence of Crohn's disease is increasing among Black people who
live in North America and the United Kingdom. Crohn's disease also is being
increasingly seen in the Middle Eastern population and among migrants to the
United States.
• Cigarette smoking: Smoking also leads to more-serious disease and a greater risk of having surgery. In case the patient smokes, it's important to stop. Cigarette or cigar smoking is the most important controllable risk factor for developing Crohn's disease.
• Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory medicines: These medicines include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB,
others), naproxen sodium (Aleve), diclofenac sodium and some others. While they do
not cause Crohn's disease, they can lead to inflammation of the bowel that
makes Crohn's disease worse.
Author's Bio
Name: Gwynneth May
Educational Qualification: MBBS, MD (Medicine) Gold Medalist
Profession: Doctor
Experience: 16 Years of Work Experience as a Medical Practitioner
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