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Information on Crohn’s Disease That You Shouldn’t Miss

A chronic inflammatory disorder, Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract. It may develop anywhere between mouth and anus.

Some brief points regarding Crohn’s disease information are listed below

Crohn’s disease usually occurs at the end of the small intestine
It appears in patches. This means, the inflammation will not be constant throughout the gastro intestinal tract, it would appear near the rectum and some patches of inflammation would be prominent in the mouth.

Information on Crohn’s Disease That You Shouldn’t Miss

Crohn’s disease sometimes extends through the entire thickness of the wall
Crohn’s disease information available on the internet might confuse the reader as this inflammatory bowel disease has similar symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The main difference between Crohn’s disease is that IBS is a disorder that it affects the muscle contractions of the bowel while Chron’s disease causes inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract.

There is no information entailing the causes of Crohn’s disease. Several studies suggest it is caused by some factors that involve genetics, environment, and an overactive immune system. It is a misconception that Crohn’s disease is caused due to eating habits.

Crohn’s disease characteristic information states that its severity is different for different people and may vary from time to time. It also depends on which gastrointestinal tract is infected. And since the symptoms vary from person to person, it might be harder to track the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

Some common Crohn’s disease symptoms include:

  • Rectal bleeding
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fever
  • Recurring Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain and cramping with reduced appetite

Based on the area of inflammation there are five types of Crohn’s disease:

Ileocolitis
This Crohn’s disease affects ileum, which is the end of small intestine and colon which is the part large intestine. The symptoms include diarrhea, cramping flowed by pain in the right lower abdomen, and sudden weight loss.

Ileitis
It affects only a part of small intestine. The symptoms are same as Ileocolitis.

Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease
Gastroduodenal affects the stomach and a small part small intestine called as the duodenum. Its symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea and unexplained weight loss.

Jejunoileitis
This type of Crohn’s disease is characterized by inflammation in the jejunum, which is the upper part of small intestine. Symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea following meals and cramps.

Crohn’s colitis
It affects the large intestine and majorly colon. Crohn’s colitis symptoms include anal diseases such as abscess, fistulas, and ulcers. The patient might also experience diarrhea as well as rectal bleeding.

Crohn’s disease leads to a number of complications, some of them are listed below:

  • Due to inflammation, Crohn’s disease leads to formation of scar tissue
  • It can also result in small bleeding cuts or tears in the anal canal. This condition is referred to as fissures.
  • If a person is suffering from Crohn’s colitis, then complications such as collection of pus in the localized area of the colon and rectal may develop. This is medically known as abscess. This complication further leads to the formation of abnormal tunnels between two structures of the body to drain out the pus develop in the colon. This is called as fistula.
  • In such cases, surgery might be recommended. The doctor might remove the inflamed or the infected part of the digestive tract to treat fistulas, scar tissue so formed, or would perform surgery to treat complication due to Crohn’s disease.

If the symptoms of Crohn’s disease are severe, then there is an increased risk of colon cancer. This could be due to the chronic inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease.

Inflammation due to Crohn’s disease may lead to removal of part of small intestine, which would result in malabsorption of vitamin B-12

If a person is suffering from Crohn’s disease for a longer period of time, then blood loss due to inflammation and ulceration can lead to anemia (iron deficiency).

Osteopenia or osteoporosis is also seen in people suffering from Crohn’s disease as it leads to decreased levels of Vitamin D. These complications are seen in women. Bone loss is worse in case of corticosteroid.

Diagnosis
Based on the above-listed symptoms, the doctor will start gathering Crohn’s disease information. This will further help to rule out other health problems with similar health symptoms. It will also help to narrow down on the exact part of the infected part of the digestive tract.

Further lab tests may be required to diagnose, which will check for signs of infections like inflammation, low level of nutrients such as iron, protein or other minerals.

Imaging studies and endoscopy will help to gather detailed Crohn’s disease information. This includes x-rays and other imaging techniques that will help in detecting the severity and the location of the disease. Imaging studies may include Barium X-rays, CT-scans, Colonoscopy, video capsule endoscopy.

The treatment options for Crohn’s disease usually involves the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, biological treatment, and immune system boosting drugs. The best way to keep Crohn’s disease is to have a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. If you still experience symptoms that are closely related to this condition, seek medical intervention to avoid further complications.

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