What Is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a progressive disease of the gastro-intestinal tract that is considered an autoimmune disorder.  It’s related to ulcerative colitis in that they both involve heavy inflammation of the GI tract, but where ulcerative colitis always targets the colon, Crohn’s disease can target any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus.  Typically, Crohn’s disease only affects areas of the large intestine.  Because Crohn’s disease is most commonly associated with the large intestine, the most common symptoms are diarrhea or constipation, and abdominal pain and cramping. 

Like all autoimmune disorders, Crohn’s disease is a pretty serious condition, and there isn’t really any cure for it.  There are some new treatments available, but nothing that will cure it outright.  Some people seem to get occassional flare ups from their Crohn’s disease, but more or less live normal lives.  Others suffer from chronic flare ups their entire lives, which can sometimes lead to more serious complications.

So it’s not really the best thing to have, but it isn’t always severe.  One of my good friends in college had Crohn’s disease but you wouldn’t ever know it.  He’d apparently had a couple of flare ups in high school, but hasn’t had one since and he’s almost 30 now. 

The medications you take if you are having a flare up are basically immunosuppressant sorts of drugs, and of course steroids, neither of which are pleasant to take.  They both have a lot of side effects, and the immunosupressants boost your chances of getting some kind of opportunistic infection. 

Crohn’s disease isn’t at all contagious, and it isn’t really well understood what causes it.  The immune system is a very complicated thing, and we have only a very limited understanding of it.  Genetics, stress, and viruses are all commonly thought to cause autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, but there isn’t any really strong connection to anything.  Crohn’s disease does seem to run in families (my friend’s dad also had it) so there probably is a genetic component to it. 

If you think you may have Crohn’s disease, you probably don’t.  First of all it’s a pretty rare condition, and there are literally hundreds of other diseases out there with the same types of symptoms.  The kind of pain and diahrea you get with Crohn’s is a lot more severe than the normal kind, so don’t freak out if you are experiencing some mild discomfort.  If you want to know more about it, ask your doctor!

Related posts:

1. The Treatment of Crohn’s Disease Crohn's disease is a bowel disorder. It involves inflammation of the area and is inoperable. As a consequence, it can be quite a difficult disorder to live with, along with its many symptoms. This disease has a tendency to effect the quality of life of those who suffer with it, which is why they usually search for Crohn's disease treatment. There are a certain number of conventional treatments available for the disease, though many sufferers find that they do not work for them, searching instead for alternative treatments....
2. Chronic Disease ” Not so easy to Diagnose Depressing, isnt it? You feel fatigued, and ache all over. These symptoms are difficult to diagnose with any form of measurement, and can be blamed on depression. Is it all in your head, or is there some other cause for your issues?...
3. How Severe Is Your Acid Reflux Disease Symptom? Anybody at any age can get acid reflux disease symptoms. There are some people, however, that won't be able to notice these symptoms until these become very severe. If you think you have the condition, take note that symptoms vary from mild to severe. When your body experiences an acid reflux disease symptom, you may not be aware of it until you take some tests. Let's talk about the varying degrees of symptoms and diagnosis of acid reflux disease....
4. How Serious Is Your Acid Reflux Disease Symptom? Acid reflux disease is a common condition and can affect anyone at any age. Some people won't even notice they have acid reflux until symptoms become more obvious. If you think you have the condition, take note that symptoms vary from mild to severe. When your body experiences an acid reflux disease symptom, you may not be aware of it until you take some tests. Let's talk about the varying degrees of symptoms and diagnosis of acid reflux disease....
5. How Severe Is Your Acid Reflux Disease Symptom? Anybody at any age can get acid reflux disease symptoms. There are some people, however, that won't be able to notice these symptoms until these become very severe. If you think you have the condition, take note that symptoms vary from mild to severe. When your body experiences an acid reflux disease symptom, you may not be aware of it until you take some tests. Let's talk about the varying degrees of symptoms and diagnosis of acid reflux disease....

Written by Nancy Blackett on December 9th, 2009 with 2 comments.
Read more articles on Crohn's Disease and Family Health.

• [+] Digg: Feature this article
• [+] Del.icio.us: Bookmark this article
• [+] Furl: Bookmark this article

Related articles

• The Treatment of Crohn’s Disease (December 8th, 2009)