Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, ileitis or granulomatous colitis, is an incurable and chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects over 500,000 Americans. This is an autoimmune disease which means that one's own immune system begins attacking self by targeting regions in the digestive system. The result is pain, inflammation and swelling of the affected area with potentially twelve to twenty bowel movements per day and severe complications such as an intestinal blockage. Bluntly, Crohn's disease is a disease to be taken very seriously.
Symptoms and Risk Factors
Common symptoms of Crohn's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic are cramping abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever; rectal bleeding, tarry stools and ulcers, appetite suppression and weight loss and also joint, skin, eyes, and liver problems. Children diagnosed with Crohn's may experience serious secondary symptoms or consequences in terms of delayed growth and development.
Several risk factors exist. Age is a risk factor in that most cases are diagnosed during teens to 30 years of age with another high incidence period from 50-to-70 years of age. Heredity and ethnicity also play a role. Individuals with a close diagnosed family member are at greater risk for acquiring the disease than the general population, as is someone of Jewish descent. Lastly, there is a higher incidence of Crohn's in smokers and people who live in industrialized countries.
Classification
When an individuals presents with some of the symptoms above and the physician determines that the Crohn's disease is indicated, the diagnosis typically identifies the affected regions of the intestines. This is known as classifying the inflammatory process by site which includes three basic areas: specifically, Crohn's ileitis (ileum of small intestine), Crohn's colitis (the large intestine) and Ileocolic Crohn's (the ileum and the large bowel). According to the American Gastroenterological Association, Ileocolic Crohn's makes up around 50% of cases; ileitis makes ups 30% of cases and Crohn's colitis involves the last 20% of diagnosed cases.
Treatment
While there is no cure for Crohn's disease, a variety of treatment options exist. Drugs that are effective in controlling diarrhea and inflammation as well as suppressing immune system responses may help to alleviate symptoms. However, well over more than half of Crohn's patients will likely undergo surgery at some point in order to alleviate a complication, the most common of which is a bowel obstruction. One must learn to live with this chronic disease.
