CROHN'S | WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS?

complications with crohn's disease can appear in the gut or in other parts of the body, or both. they can happen at any time.

STRICTURE:

due to the constant inflammation and healing in the bowel, due to the nature of this disease, it can cause a significant amount of scar tissue to form. this can narrow the passageway of the affected parts of the bowel. this narrowing is called a stricture. the stricture can make it difficult for food to pass through the gut and can cause a blockage. 

symptoms include:

- severe cramping abdominal pain

- nausea and/or vomiting

- constipation

- the abdomen can also become            distended and there may be loud        gut sounds.

PERFORATION:

this usually happens when a stricture causes a blockage, which can lead to perforation or rupture of the bowel, which causes a hole. the contents of the bowel may then leak out and cause an abscess. this in turn causes severe pain and fever. these abscesses can lead to fistulas.

FISTULA:

a fistula forms when the inflammation in crohn's spreads through the whole thickness of the bowel wall and continues to tunnel through the layers of other tissues. these tunnel can connect the bowel or other loops of bowel to the surrounding organs such as the bladder and vagina, to the outside skin, including the skin around the anus, this is called perianal crohn's disease.

like all diseases, of course there are complications with crohn's, but realistically speaking having anyone one of these complications can become life-threatening if it isn't treated quickly and correctly. i'm lucky enough to have not yet experienced any of these issues, but i know people who have and its a horrific experience. as i've said before, this disease is horrible and extremely unpredictable. but once you have the correct treatment and support around you, i know you can live a happy, healthy life.

websites used: crohn's and colitis uk crohn's disease information booklet

CROHN'S | WHAT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF DISEASE?

crohn's can affect different parts of the gut in different ways. patients can have one or more type of crohn's at the same time. complications and symptoms can differ depending on which part of the gut is affected.

TERMINAL ILEAL/ILEOCAECAL:

this is a very common type of crohn's disease. it affects the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large bowel. this type often presents as pain in the lower right side of the abdomen, often in conjunction with weight loss. of course there is diarrhoea, but it is not always bloody as the blood is digested by the time it reaches the rectum. sometimes however, there is not always diarrhoea if only a small section of the ileum is affected. But, even if it is only a small part that's affected by the disease you may experience watery diarrhoea due to bile salts not being properly absorbed.

COLONIC:

when the disease is only in the colon or large bowel it is called crohn's colitis. the main symptom is bloody diarrhoea. due to the inflammation, the colon can't hold as much waste as it should be able to, so there will be frequent bowel movements, often six times a day plus. there may also be a more frequent urge to empty the bowels due to the inflammation in the rectum. there can often be incontinence due to diarrhoea and urgency.

PERIANAL:

this type of crohn's around the anus can be on its on or in combination with other places in the gut. it causes a number of symptoms:

- fissures: these are tares in the lining of the anal canal. they can cause pain and bleeding,         particularly during bowel movements.

- skin tags: small, fleshy growths that develop around the anus. they usually cause no pain,      but if waste from the bowel collects around them can cause irritation.
- abscesses: these are collections of pus that develop around the anus. they can cause fever,    pain and tenderness. sometimes they may need to be drained or treated with antibiotics.        these can also cause fistulas.

- fistulas: small openings with pus that form a passageway from the anal canal to the skin       around the anus. they can also cause abscesses. they can leak pus and sometimes waste.        they are painful and cause irritation. they are usually treated with medication and/or            surgery.

SMALL BOWEL:

usual symptoms are pain and diarrhoea. diarrheoa is usually not blood-stained. often there is weight loss and anaemia.

GASTRODUODENAL:

this is where the disease affects the upper gut, the oesophagus, stomach or duodenum. this is a much less common form of the disease. symptoms may include indigestion-like pain, nausea, weight loss and loss of appetite.

ORAL:

the disease sometimes causes inflammation in the mouth. things such as painful ulcers, swollen gums, lips and face. this form of the disease is much more common in children and young people.

so, as you can see, this disease is not glamorous and there really is no way to sugar coat it. its nasty and revolves around poo, lovely! as a girl having this disease is pretty demeaning i think, having to constantly talk about your toilet habits and your poo isn't pleasant or the type of thing you want to be discussing with anyone. 

but, as i said, its important to be brave and confident if you have this disease and not let it win! with my family and friends we now laugh about it, because if we didn't we'd cry. once you get the correct medication and/or surgery for the form of the disease you have, you can lead a normal, happy life.

any questions, experiences, tips or tricks you want to share about dealing with the disease are more than welcome!

websites used: crohn's and colitis uk crohn's disease information booklet

CROHN'S DISEASE | WHAT IS IT?

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