Crohn’s disease is a disease involving inflammation of the bowel. Though most ordinarily occurring within the intestine or colon, regional enteritis can involve any part of the alimentary canal (GI tract), spanning from the mouth to the anus. It is chronic and may lie dormant for long stretches during your lifetime before becoming active again.
What causes Crohn’s disease?
Physicians are unable to work out the precise explanation for regional enteritis , although it’s believed to possess an autoimmune involvement. Autoimmune responses occur as a result of the body mistakenly identifying something as an unknown invader. The body naturally attacks invaders as a protective response. In regional enteritis, it’s believed that the body attacks the present bacteria found within the alimentary canal. This response causes inflammation, which will develop signs and symptoms of regional enteritis, and will end in any of the subsequent complications:
- Obstruction of the intestinal tract from wall thickening, resulting from inflammation
- Fistulas forming due to ulcers or abscesses damaging the liner of the intestine
- Abscesses, ulcers, and fissures developing from the autoimmune response
Although regional enteritis has no identifiable cause, people with inflammatory bowel disease are more likely to develop the disorder. Smokers are high-risk. Crohn’s is usually identified in people before age 30 but can develop at any age.
What are the symptoms of Crohn’s disease?
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease depend upon the area that’s affected. Symptoms can include:
- Diarrhea (food passing too rapidly through the bowels due to the damage existing within the alimentary canal .)
- Weight loss (resulting from diarrhea that prohibits the body from absorbing proper nutrients.)
- Abdominal cramping (from the different forms of GI damage)
- Anemia (from the poor absorption of vitamins.)
- Joint pain (from inflammation associated with the autoimmune response.)
How to know if you’ve got Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is most frequently diagnosed from testing and exams resulting from investigation of symptoms, like diarrhea. CT scans and/or x-rays of the abdomen can often indicate if inflammation is present. Your physician will often refer a patient to a gastroenterologist, a GI specialist, to verify a diagnosis and differentiate Crohn’s disease from other bowel disorders. A colonoscopy is most frequently used to view the bowel for inflammation, thickening, ulcers and other signs of active disease. During a colonoscopy, tissue is retrieved via biopsy, to further confirm diseased tissue.
What if you’ve got Crohn’s disease?
A physician will create an individualized plan of treatment to focus on both the disease and the symptoms, while taking into account possible complications. There are many drugs available to treat Crohn’s disease. If an excessive amount of damage is present, surgery to get rid of the damaged tissue could also be necessary. While there’s no cure for Crohn’s, there are multiple courses of treatment which will support an extended, healthy life.
Crohn’s Disease: Contact Us Today
Dr. Shah of VitalCare Family Practice has the expertise and experience necessary to diagnose and prepare a course of treatment for your Crohn’s disease. If you’re suffering from intestinal issues, contact VitalCare Family Practice for an appointment today.
