crohn's disease is classed as an ibd, which stands for inflammatory bowel disease. there are two very common types of ibd, one being crohn's disease, the other ulcerative colitis. in both of these diseases the digestive tract becomes inflamed an painful, nasty ulcers also develop on the wall of the bowel. the inflammation in the gut affects the body's ability to absorb nutrients, break down food and get rid of waste products. crohn's can effect any part of the digestive tract which starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. ulcerative colitis only affects the colon (large intestine) and rectum. crohn's disease most commonly effects the last section of the small intestine, the ileum, or the large intestine, the colon. crohn's is often described as a 'chronic condition' as it is unpredictable and ongoing. WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS?
symptoms can be mild or severe and can worsen or improve over time, all of this varies from person to person. when you have few or no symptoms you are said to be in remission, this is when you feel well and are leading a 'normal' life. when your symptoms are more present and active you are said to be relapsing or having a 'flare up'. this is when you experience severe diarrhoea, pain and fatigue.
the most common symptoms are:
- severe diarrhoea (sometimes mucus, pus and blood are present)
- opening the bowels excessively
- sense of urgency when needing the toilet
- abdominal pain- extreme fatigue and lethargy
- loss of appetite
- extreme weight loss
- mouth ulcers
- fever
- sometimes anaemia (low red blood cells in the body) due to not eating and the body not absorbing enough nutrients.
other symptoms that affect some, but not all crohn's patients are:
- uveitis
- kidney stones
- arthritis and general joint pain
- skin problems
- oral facial granulomatosis
i would also like to point out that often peoples symptoms aren't classed as 'classic', me being one of them, but this does not mean you don't have crohn's. if you only have some of these symptoms, but are concerned that you may have crohn's or colitis it is important you discuss this with your doctor.
WHO CAN GET IBD'S?
anyone, literally anyone, regardless of lifestyle, age, ethnicity or sex can get an ibd. according the the crohn's and colitis uk website around 620, 000 people in the uk suffer from either crohns or ulcerative colitis and 18, 000 new cases are diagnosed per year. the illness can rear its ugly head at any age, but most commonly makes its appearance in younger people from age ten to early twenties. also, more girls than boys in younger age groups develop crohns disease. both are found across the world, but appear more commonly in developing countries.
WHAT CAUSES CROHN'S DISEASE?
no one is yet one hundred percent sure what cause crohns but scientists do think it is a combination of factors, which include:
- genetics
- an abnormal immune reaction of the digestive system to bacteria in the intestine
- an unknown 'trigger' or a set of triggers which include viruses, other bacteria, diet, stress and environmental factors.
IS THERE A CURE?
sadly no, there is currently no cure for either crohn's or colitis. this is somewhat daunting, however, there is a variety of medications and surgical options keep symptoms in remission and keep the chances of a flare up low. once the balance of medication and/or surgery is right, people with either disease can live an almost normal life and no one would know from an outsiders point of view that there was anything wrong.
i thought this post would be a good place to start with this blog! giving you a somewhat condensed, yet thorough explanation of what crohn's disease is. i hope i've remembered to include everything and explained it well. thank you very much for reading this blog, i think it is very important to raise awareness about this increasingly common disease and try and dispel some myths, embarrassment and awkwardness that can accompany it. as i said, if you have any questions, or feel i've missed something important, please feel free to comment or email me!
p.s. all links are pink, click them to find out more!
webpages used: crohn's and colitis uk, crohn's and colitis uk crohn's disease information booklet and the nhs choices website
WHAT CAUSES CROHN'S DISEASE?
no one is yet one hundred percent sure what cause crohns but scientists do think it is a combination of factors, which include:
- genetics
- an abnormal immune reaction of the digestive system to bacteria in the intestine
- an unknown 'trigger' or a set of triggers which include viruses, other bacteria, diet, stress and environmental factors.
IS THERE A CURE?
sadly no, there is currently no cure for either crohn's or colitis. this is somewhat daunting, however, there is a variety of medications and surgical options keep symptoms in remission and keep the chances of a flare up low. once the balance of medication and/or surgery is right, people with either disease can live an almost normal life and no one would know from an outsiders point of view that there was anything wrong.
i thought this post would be a good place to start with this blog! giving you a somewhat condensed, yet thorough explanation of what crohn's disease is. i hope i've remembered to include everything and explained it well. thank you very much for reading this blog, i think it is very important to raise awareness about this increasingly common disease and try and dispel some myths, embarrassment and awkwardness that can accompany it. as i said, if you have any questions, or feel i've missed something important, please feel free to comment or email me!
p.s. all links are pink, click them to find out more!
webpages used: crohn's and colitis uk, crohn's and colitis uk crohn's disease information booklet and the nhs choices website
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