Crohn's disease is a disease affecting the immune system. With Crohn's disease, the immune system flares up and overreacts to good and bad substances in the bowel. The disease can cause bowel ulcers, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The cause of Crohn's is unknown and treatment options are limited for the chronic inflammatory disease. While Western medicine is still working to establish the relationship between HIV and Crohn's, there is speculation and anecdotal evidence that the low CD4 counts associated with progressed HIV/AIDS can reduce the opportunity for Crohn's flareups.
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation, or swelling and irritation, and sores in the digestive track. It normally affects the last part of the small intestine and the first part of the large intestine but can be found anywhere from mouth to anus. While Crohn's disease is a lifelong complication, some patients experience periods where symptoms are mild or nonexistent.
Causes
The origin of Crohn's disease is unknown, but it can be linked to a problem with the body's immune system response. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body, but with Crohn's disease the immune system has an overactive immune response (autoimmune disorder) that leads to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can cause pain, diarrhea and even malnutrition. Crohn's disease can be hereditary. You are also more likely to get Crohn's disease if you smoke or are between the ages of 15 and 35, but Crohn's can be found at any age.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Crohn's disease can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, anal tears and mouth sores. Things like smoking, stress, infection and hormonal changes can cause symptoms to flare up. Signs for which a person with Crohn's disease should contact a medical professional immediately include vomiting, severe abdominal pain, fever and weak heart rate.
Crohn's and HIV
While most of the literature regarding the relationship between HIV and Crohn's disease is anecdotal, there is speculation about how they affect one another. Patients who have progressed into AIDS and have low CD4 (immune cell) counts often have less Crohn's disease complications than HIV patients with higher CD4 counts because Crohn's is an overreaction of immune cells. However, HIV infection stimulates CD4 cells into action, which could make Crohn's worse. But HIV treatment decreases the amount of activated CD4 and can make Crohn's disease less likely to flare up. In the medical profession the question of the relationship between Crohn's, HIV and CD4 is currently a difficult one to answer.
Treatment
The most common treatment for Crohn's disease is over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication, but prescription medication may also be recommended. Prescription medications reduce inflammation and may even heal damaged tissues. With severe symptoms surgery to remove an affected bowel may be needed, but Crohn's disease symptoms often return after surgery. Patients are recommended to eat high-calorie, nutritious food on a regular schedule to prevent malnutrition.
