Crohn's Disease and IBD

What is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease causes the inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which is called inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).IBD causes diahrrea and abdominal pain which could be severe.Sometimes inflammation causes the parts of digestive tract to swell and form deep sores called ulcers.Crohn's disease can be very pain and irritable and possibly it may lead to life-threatening conditions.



Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease can range from mild to severe.They include:

The general symptoms of crohn's disease are diahrrea, ulcers and abdominal pain.Another common sign is losing weight without any unknowingly.Other uncommon symptoms include mouth sores, tears, blood in your stool, and bowel problems.

Other signs and symptoms

Severe crohn's disease may lead people to experience fever, fatigue as well as problems including arthritis, eye inflammation, skin disorders, and inflammation of the liver or bile ducts. Children with Crohn's disease may have delayed growth or sexual development.

Infections, hormonal changes, smoking, and stress can cause your symptoms to flare up.

Immediately Consult your doctor if you have some of these symptoms:

• You feel faint or have a fast and weak pulse.
• You have severe abdominal pain.
• You have a high fever
• You are vomiting again and again

Causes

Crohn's disease begins with inflammation, mostly in the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) and the upper part of large intestine.Sometimes it can also take place in the rectum, stomach, esophagus or mouth.

Doctors are not very much sure about the causes of crohn's disease but it has estimated that possibly a virus or bacterium may cause Crohn's disease.When our immune system fights against the virus, inflammation occurs in the digestive tract.
One microorganism that may be involved in the development of Crohn's is Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP).This bacterium is found in many people's blood and intestinal tissues who are affected by crohn's disease.Also some investigators believe that this disease is developed because of an abnormal immune response to bacteria that normally live in the intestine.

Genes is also responsible for this disease in many people.A person with a family history of crohn's disease is most likely to develop this disease.Smoking also puts you at a higher risk for the disease.





Tests and diagnosis

• Blood tests. Your doctor may suggest blood tests to check for anemia — a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells to carry enough oxygen to your tissue or to check for signs of infection.
• Colonoscopy. This test allows your doctor to view your entire colon using a thin, flexible, lighted tube with an attached camera.
• Barium enema. This diagnostic test allows your doctor to evaluate your large intestine with an X-ray. Before the test, barium, a contrast dye, is placed into your bowel.The barium fills and coats the lining of the bowel, creating a clear view of your rectum, colon and a portion of your small intestine.

Treatment

Treatment depends on what type of symptoms you are being experienced off and how much intense are they.

Medince is the usuall treatment for crohn's disease.Mild symptoms of crohn's disease are treated by prescribing a series of medication to overcome problems like diarrhea.It also helps to contrl the inflammtion of the digestive tract and help heal damaged tissue.

If your disease had got worse, these medicines are unlikely to control your symptoms.Then stronger treatments are done which includes passing of medicine through a vein or in most rare cases surgery is being held to remove that part of your digestive tract.

To prevent these symptoms and to feel better you may try these few steps.

Eat healthy food

Do regular exercise

Reduce sugar useage

Do not try to smoke(smoke worsens crohn's disease)


Crohn's disease makes your body unable to absorb all nutrients from food.So eat foods high in calories and high in protein, so that you get maximum number of nutients you need.