What is Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. It’s a type of bowel disease. According to Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF), about 780000 Americans are suffering from this condition.
Crohn’s disease usually occurs in the small intestine and the colon. It can affect any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from mouth to anus, however, the commonly affected areas are the last part of the small intestine and the colon. As Crohn’s disease causes inflammation of the digestive tract one can feel abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition.
Crohn’s disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes even lead to life-threatening flares and complications.
What Causes Crohn’s Disease?
It’s yet not confirmed the causes of Crohn’s disease, but there are some factors which might lead to it, such as:
- Your immune system
- Your genes (It has been found that more than 20% of people with Crohn’s disease also have a parent, child, or sibling with this disease. )
- Your environment
Also, there are certain things which can affect the severity of this disease, which can include:
- Smoking
- Age
- Whether or not the rectum is involved
- Length of the time of the disease
- Individuals suffering from this disease are likely to develop intestinal infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. All this can add to the severity of symptoms and can lead to further complications.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Symptoms vary a lot from person to person. In some people, only the last segment of the small intestine (ileum) can be affected, while in others the disease can affect the colon (part of the large intestine).
Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease range from mild to severe. The most common signs and symptoms are:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Blood in your stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Pain or drainage near or around the anus.
The above symptoms are considered mild, apart from these symptoms people with Crohn’s can also experience:
- Inflammation of skin, eyes, and joints
- Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
- Delayed growth or sexual development, in children
- Treatment for Crohn’s Disease
- There is no specific treatment for Crohn’s disease yet but the disease can be managed accurately. There are a variety of treatment options available to cure the severity and frequency of your symptoms.
There are several types of medications available to treat Crohn’s. Anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used. Most advanced options include stem cell therapy which uses the body’s own cells to treat the disease.
The medications or combination of medications that you need to take depends on your symptoms, your disease history, the severity of your condition, and how you respond to treatment. Large numbers of clinical trials have shown that stem cell therapy is safe and is effective for Crohn’s patients. Healing can last for many years after treatment and is arguably safer and more effective than conventional therapy.