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Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. It can cause intestinal inflammation, resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition.
Different people experience inflammation in different places of their digestive tract when they suffer from Crohn’s disease. Inflammation can then spread deeper into the bowel. Crohn’s disease can be both painful and debilitating and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.
Types of Crohn’s Disease
- Ileocolitis. It inflames the end of the small intestine and a portion of the large intestine.
- Ileitis. It inflames the last section of the small intestine.
- Gastroduodenal Crohn’s. It inflames the stomach and the start of the small intestine.
- Jejunoileitis. It inflames the middle part of the small intestine.
- Crohn’s colitis. It inflames only the colon.
The Causes of Crohn’s Disease
The specific cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown but several factors play a role in its development.
- Immune system. A virus or bacterium may trigger Crohn’s disease but there is no exact evidence of the trigger. When your immune system tries to fight off the invading microorganism, an abnormal immune response causes the immune system to attack the cells in the digestive tract, too.
- Heredity. Crohn’s is more common in people who have family members with the disease. However, most people with Crohn’s disease don’t have a family history of the disease.
What are the Risk Factors of Crohn’s Disease?
- Age. Crohn’s disease can occur at any age but is more likely to develop condition before around 30 years old.
- Family history. If you have a first-degree relative, such as a parent, sibling, or child, with the disease. As many as 1 in 5 people with Crohn’s disease has a family member with the disease.
- Cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor but it is controllable. Smoking also leads to more-severe disease and a greater risk of having surgery.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. These medications cause inflammation of the bowel and increase your risk of developing Crohn’s disease.
How to Diagnose Crohn’s Disease?
Aside from assessing the symptoms and medical history, your doctor can also diagnose Crohn’s disease through several tests. Your doctor may suggest the following:
- Blood tests to check for anemia or to check for signs of infection.
- Stool studies to check for hidden blood or organisms, such as parasites, in your stool.
Other procedures include:
- Colonoscopy
- Computerized tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Capsule endoscopy
- You may still need endoscopy with biopsy
Treatment for Crohn’s Disease
There is currently no cure for Crohn’s disease, and there is no single treatment that works for everyone. The goal of taking medications for this condition is to reduce the worsening of the symptoms. Your doctor may recommend medications for gastro health such as:
