What is Crohn’s disease?
Well now, that’s a great question!
If you have been suffering from Crohn’s disease it is important that you completely understand exactly what is Crohn’s disease so that you can seek the correct treatment to best to benefit your overall health.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease and may also be known as ileitis or enteritis.
It is a chronic condition that leads to inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the real challenges with Crohn’s disease is that it can affect any area of the gastrointestinal or G.I. tract, from the mouth to the anus.
However, most commonly Crohn’s affects the Ilium, or the lower portion of the small intestine. The inflammation and edema associated with Crohn’s disease extends quite deep into the lining of the G.I. tract. It is this inflammation and swelling which leads to the pain associated with Crohn’s disease. This same swelling also causes the body to force the intestinal tract to empty its contents frequently which results in diarrhea. It is the pain and diarrhea that are both known to impact the sufferers quality of life.
Crohn’s disease is known to be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal conditions such as ulcerative colitis and IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. With all sorts of colitis this disease causes inflammation and ulcerations in just the top layer of the lining of the large intestine, which differs from Crohn’s disease as it has the potential to affect all layers of the intestinal tract. Also with Crohn’s disease there may be sections of normal healthy bowel which can be found between areas of the diseased bowel.
It seems that Crohn’s disease attacks both men and women equally and it does seem that there are some familial tendencies. In many cases it does tend to run in families. Recent research seems to indicate that almost 20% of those patients currently suffering with Crohn’s disease also have a blood relative who are battling some form of inflammatory bowel disease of one type or the other.
Most often this blood relative is a brother or sister and in some cases it may even be a parent or a child. Crohn’s disease is most often diagnosed in patients between the ages of 20 and 30. African-Americans appear currently to be at decreased risk for the development of Crohn’s disease while those of Jewish descent seem to have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease absolutely is not something to be ignored and not something that you can choose to manage on occasion. You must work very closely with your primary health care provider as well as your gastroenterologist in order to develop a comprehensive treatment plan best designed for your situation. What is Crohn’s disease? It is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that deserves your full attention as well as the aggressive treatment and management by your health care team.