Crohn's+Backgrond+Information

__Crohn's Disease __

Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease which usually affects the intestines. In normal cases, the immune system protects the body and its functions, but in patients with Crohn’s disease, the immune system cannot distinguish the difference between normal body tissue and foreign substances in the gastrointestinal tract. This results in an overactive immune response to the foreign substances by an overproduction of white blood cells attacking the intestinal “invaders” along the lining of the gastrointestinal tracts, which causes chronic inflammation. This inflammation on the tract can be anywhere, and can even occur between patches of healthy tissue. The intestinal wall becomes thick over time from the inflammation, causing extreme digestive discomfort (Crohn's Disease).

Types of Crohn's There are five types of Crohn’s disease; the first being Ileocolitis, the most common form. This type of Crohn’s affects the lower part of the small intestine, the ileum, and the large intestine, the colon. The second type of Crohn’s is known as Iletis, which only affects the ileum. The third type is Gastroduodenal Crohn’s, which causes inflammation in the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum. The fourth type of Crohn’s disease is Jejunoiletis, which causes patches of inflammation in the top half of the small intestine, the jejunum. Lastly, Crohn’s granulomatous colitis affects only the large intestine (Crohn's Disease).

What causes Crohn's? The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown, but scientists believe that a person’s inherited genes, such as the protein tyrosine phosphotase, or PTPRS, gene, and environmental factors may affect how the body overreacts to normal bacteria in the intestines. Risk factors associated with Crohn’s disease are generally people ages 15 to 35 with a family history of Crohn’s, people from Jewish descent, and smokers. Scientists believe that the PTPRS gene found in humans becomes mutated, and these polymorphisms in the gene lead to Crohn's disease (Crohn's Disease, NIDDK).

Symptoms The symptoms of Crohn’s disease can range from mild to severe, and are generally sporadic with periods of flare-ups. The main symptoms of Crohn’s are: · Cramp-like abdominal pain · Fever · Fatigue · Loss of appetite · Pain with bowel movements · Persistent diarrhea · Unintentional weight loss

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Testing <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Testing for Crohn’s is normally done after symptoms persist, and the most common way to test for Crohn’s is through a colonoscopy. Other tests that can be performed are a Barium enema, a CT scan of the abdomen, an endoscopy, an MRI of the abdomen, a sigmoidoscopy, an enteroscopy, or an upper GI series (Crohn's Disease).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Complications and Treatments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Complications associated with Crohn’s disease can be natural, such as vitamin and protein deficiencies from avoiding certain foods, but sometimes the complications can be serious. The most commonly seen complication is intestinal blockage. This blockage occurs with swelling and scar tissue that comes with the disease which narrows the intestinal passageway, which can be very dangerous. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Treatment of Crohn’s usually includes following a diet that avoids excessively fatty foods and raw fruits and vegetables which can be rough on the intestines, and avoiding high-fiber foods. Drugs may be prescribed to help limit inflammation and diarrhea as well, and severe cases may need surgery to remove damaged or diseased parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There is no cure for Crohn’s disease, there is only hope for periods of time with no flare-ups (Crohn's Disease).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Crohn's Disease." Google Health. Google.com, 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. <https://health.google.com/health/ref/Crohn's+disease>.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Crohn's Disease. NIDDK. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Feb. 2006. Web. 3 Dec. 2010. <http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/>.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Back to Homepage