Introduction
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. It's an ongoing condition that causes pain and inflammation primarily in the intestines, but can also occur in other parts of the digestive tract. Due to the fact that it can arise in any part of the intestine, sufferers of Crohn's disease experience a wide variety of symptoms. People with Crohn's disease may go into remission for many years, without any signs or symptoms. However, this condition is chronic and may recur several times over the course of a lifetime. It's impossible to know when symptoms will go into remission or when the disease will become active.
Effects on the Body
The inflammation associated with Crohn's causes portions of the intestines to secrete large amounts of water and salt. Bowels can also swell, thicken and form sores and scar tissue. The passage of food through the intestines further irritates their lining and causes bleeding and pain. Nutrients are inhibited from being absorbed effectively. As a result, some common symptoms of Crohn's disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, bloody stool, ulcers, loss of appetite and weight loss. Severe Crohn's disease may also present fever, fatigue, arthritis, inflammation of the eyes and skin disorders. Symptoms of this condition range from mild to extreme, with an unpredictable rate of occurrence.
Causes
Doctors and medical researchers are not sure of the exact causes of Crohn's disease. They suspect it's due to a number of factors related to a malfunctioning immune system, environmental agents and heredity. The leading theory is that the immune system overreacts to normal elements within the intestines, such as food or bacteria. It mistakes them as foreign "invaders" and launches an attack in order to protect the body--which causes the chronic inflammation. However, it's unclear whether the immune system abnormality is a cause or a symptom of the disease. There is a genetic correlation with Crohn's disease. Almost 20 percent of people with Crohn's have a close relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease. Foreign substances in the environment, or antigens, may also directly cause the inflammation.
Treatment
There is no cure for Crohn's disease. However, it's possible to treat it with drug therapy and sometimes surgery. The goal of treatment is to reduce intestinal inflammation in order to control signs and symptoms. Relief of symptoms, as well as remission of the disease, has been successfully accomplished with existing therapies. According to the Mayo Clinic, medications for Crohn's disease include a variety of anti-inflammatories, immune suppressors, antibiotics, anti-diarrheals, laxatives, pain relievers, vitamins and nutritional supplements. If the condition doesn't respond to drugs, lifestyle changes or diet, Crohn's patients may require surgery to remove the damaged portion of the intestines.
