Understanding Crohn's Disease

Complications of Crohn’s may include bowel obstructions, ulcers, fistulas, malnutrition, anal fissures, colon cancer and other health problems. The bowel may become thickened and narrowed disallowing digestive contents to exit

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a systemic auto-immune disease that is marked by abnormal inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, it affects any part of the GI tract from mouth to anus. CD mainly presents in three areas: the small intestine, the colon, and the perianal region. CD mostly occurs between the ages of 15 and 30 years, or between the ages of 60 and 80 years of age. The exact etiology of Crohn’s disease is unknown. As stated by Mazal (2014) “Genetic predisposition—especially familial aggregation—seems to be the strongest independent indicator of which individuals will develop Crohn disease” (p.298). An increase diet in milk protein, milk protein and polysturated fatty acids is also a possible factor in disease incidences. Smoking may also double the risk of developing CD.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that affects a person’s digestive system with no known cause. When Crohn’s disease strikes, it can affect any part of your digestive system ranging from your mouth, all the way to your anus. Crohn’s disease is chronic and there is no known cure for this condition. So basically, once someone is diagnosed with this condition, they might as well get used to living out the remainder of their life being affected by Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is not, shall we say, “constant”. The symptoms happen on and off in what are usually called “flare-ups”.

especially in the colon. This drug can be used for as long as needed, and it

Crohn’s disease is characterized by inflammation of segments of the GI tract. The parts of the tract where Crohn’s disease is most often seen are in the terminal ileum, jejunum, and right side of colon. Involvement of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum is

They say Crohn’s Disease is not very common, so when my sister and I got diagnosed with it in the same year, all I could think was “why me?”. Crohn’s Disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects a person’s intestines. It can be very life threatening in some cases, and just a slight annoyance in other cases. It affects what I can and cannot eat, and I have to go to the hospital every six weeks for remicade treatments. Crohn’s Disease changed my life in many ways, both positive and negative.

Drugs that help treat Crohn’s disease include anti-inflammatory drugs, Immune system suppressors, and antibiotics. Some immune system suppressors carry an added risk of developing cancer such as lymphoma.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people. The inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. Although it may involve any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, it most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (ileum) and/or the large

When a person has one, it doesn’t mean that by this time next week, it will go away. It means that they will continue to deal with the symptoms of that disease until the day they die. That is a daunting thought, often too large in scale for anyone to truly take seriously.

The tell-tale symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal cramps and pain, urgent need to move bowels, sensation of incomplete evacuation, severe or persistent diarrhea, constipation which may lead to bowel obstruction, rectal bleeding, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and malnutrition because the disease causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract .Some other general symptoms may also include, fever, night sweats, loss of normal menstrual cycle.

Crohn’s disease is a debilitating disease that can affect your entire life and lifestyle if you allow it to. It affects someone that is very dear to me, my best friend’s mother, Stephanie. I see her live through this day in and day out, and it has raised many questions in my mind. Questions like how you get it, why you get it, and what you really go through when you have it. It is something I have little knowledge of, and by learning more information on it, I feel as if I can possibly help her cope with it in the future.

“I will keep fighting,” is what I remind myself as soon as the sun peaks up. Many people are not aware of Crohn’s, nor did I when I was diagnosed at age 8. I have learned Crohn’s is not just a simple disease; it changes lives. My experiences with Crohn’s built me into a stronger person, both physically and mentally. Crohn’s caused me to grow up rapidly, faster than my fellow classmates. Entering high school with Crohn’s had been a remarkably frightening experience, yet at the end of each day, I decided I was not going to allow my disease to define who I am. So when you walk through those high school doors, remember: be who you are, not what Crohn’s makes you. Participate in activities you loved to do before you got Crohns- just modify them.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes an inflammation of the GI tract. The symptoms of this disease are mild to severe, and they commonly include varying degrees of abdominal pain, frequent diarrhea, fatigue, rectal bleeding, and unexplained weight loss. Crohn’s disease is a lifelong and progressive condition that leaves approximately seven-hundred thousand Americans without a cure. As disheartening as it is, it has proven my little sister to be the fighter of my family and has lead me to admire her for it. Her battle with her new health condition has shown me how to brave and optimistic in the most trying of situations.

to as colitis, enteritis, ileitis, and proctitis. When you have this disease your body’s immune system begins attacking healthy cells in your digestive tract, and this is what causes the inflammation. Crohn’s disease is one of the fastest growing intestinal diseases in the United States. Although the condition can affect any part of the gut, the most commonly affected areas are the ileum or the large intestine, the colon. Crohn's disease may be mild, moderate, or severe. Most patients are able to lead full and productive lives when treated properly.

I chose Crohn's disease because I found it the most interesting and one of my friends also has the disease. Crohn's disease is chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract(Web MD). Major signs of Crohn's disease includes chronic diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss and feeling a fullness in the abdominal. It is caused by immune system problems, genetics, and environmental factors. When someone is considered to have this disease, doctors run a variety of tests to identify the problem. These test include, blood samples/lab samples, x-rays, colonscopy, and capsule endoscopy. Once Crohn`s is diagnosed, there are multiple ways to fix the problem, even though each person is different. Some treatment