Crohn's Disease Explained

Crohn's Disease can attack any part of the gastrointestinal tract right up from your mouth to the rectum. For the most part, the lower part of the digestive system is affected. The lower portion of the ileum which is the small intestine, is what is most affected by this disease.

There is swelling that causes pains making the intestines need to empty a lot. This creates a problem with diarrhea.

Irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohns are a lot alike in that they both cause swelling intestines. Ulcerative colitis is what causes an inflammation in the upper part of the large intestine. Where Crohn's disease is different is that it causes problems in all intestinal layers.

Crohn's Disease can affect both males and females alike, and not one gender more than the other. It can happen to people of all ages, even small children, but is most often found in those people ages 20 to 30.

Why do people develop Crohn's Disease? It has been said that the body's immune system acts abnormally. Instead of intercepting food as a normal bodily process, a lot of foods are being taken as something that is a foreign substance. In trying to process food, the white blood cells that you have in the blood, all gather together in the intestinal lining, and comes up with an inflammation process. This leads to hurting the bowels causing injuries to them, and also ulcerations.

It is not really known by medical researchers as yet whether or not the immune system in this medical condition is actually the cause, or the end result of this problem. Genetics may be involved if the person giving birth has a faulty immune system or other problems related to it. Another cause for the inflammation may be how the body is reacting back to antigens. On the other hand, it has been said that maybe antigens are causing inflammation. Nothing is for certain still.

Symptoms.

Stomach pains will happen on the right side along with diarrhea. Bleeding out from the rectum may occur, along with arthritis, skin problems and fevers. The bleeding you have may be heavy and happening all of the time, or moderate. But whatever the bleeding is from the rectal section, it is serious. Anemia may happen from blood loss. Kids that have this intestinal problem may not grow normally at all.

Diagnosing this medical problem is not always easy. To start with, a thorough medical exam is needed with blood testing. Blood testing which will tell your white cell counts is needed as this is one clue if this test is not normal. A stool sample is important for blood loss through the intestines and can easily be detected.

A GI series will tell the doctor about your small intestine. Some barium is given that covers the lining of the small intestine. They will then take x-rays. Barium will show up white on an x-ray film. The white shows what is not normal and inflammation in the intestine. When this test looks positive for this intestinal disorder, then more tests which involve x-rays showing the upper and lower digestive tract will demonstrate to the doctors how much of the intestinal tract has been involved in Crohns Disease.

Complications:

Crohn's disease can cause a blockage. This is so frequent because of having swelling and scar tissue build up with this ailment. Another thing that can happen is sores and ulcers that run on through the tissues surrounding the intestines. Areas around the rectum are also included for complications. Tunnels which are actually called fistulas are a problem that may even require surgery. There also may be small tears that appear through the mucous membrane that lines the anus.

Nutritional problems are very common in this Crohns disease. Since food is not properly absorbed the way it should be, then vitamin deficiencies may occur.

Other problems experiences may be other inflammation in the body such as the eyes and mouth. Kidney stones may occur as well as arthritis problems, and gallstones.

Treatment can be in the form of surgeries, vitamins and helpful nutritional supplements, and other drugs. The treatment they have now can help you control the symptoms you are having. A lot of the treatments given depend on how badly you have this disease.

Drugs help up to a point with some of the troublesome problems. They can give anti-inflammatory drugs to help control inflammation problems. Cortisone or steroids and Immune system drugs that suppress the immune system are used, helping some of the symptomatology.

Antibiotics are used to treat intestinal bacteria when there is problems related to fistulas or bacterial problems related to this medical problem.

Nutritional supplements help a lot of children in whose growth has been stunted. Some people need intravenous feeds form time to time when extra nutrients are needed from the system becoming dehydrated or deprived.

Surgery is needed for some people with really severe cases. When the symptoms resulting from this medical problem are too hard to tolerate anymore on a daily basis, then removing a portion of the intestine, or else removal of the intestines altogether is done, but the result is needing a colostomy, which for some people is better then living with the day to day pain and unwellness of this disease.

Other things a person with this serious disorder can do is avoid stress as much as possible. Stress does worsen symptoms a great deal.

There is hope through new research on this disease. Clinical trials are trying to assess some promising therapies for those people with this intestinal problem, hoping to make patients more comfortable and symptom free. There may even be a cure in the future, but none have ever been done as of yet.