Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease that leads to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract lining. Any part of the whole digestive tract from mouth to anus can be affected by this disease. But in most cases, the large intestine, colon, and ileum are affected. In addition, ulcers and fistulae can be present in affected parts.

Cause of Crohn's Disease

There is no exact known cause of Crohn's Disease, but certain factors increase the risk of causing Crohn's Disease. They are smoking, inheritance, and immune diseases. Out of these, Immune disease and inheritance are the significant reasons.

1. Immune diseases: Auto-immune diseases are considered one of the leading causes of Crohn's disease. Several viruses and Bacteria that cause auto-immune disease can cause Crohn's disease. When the bacteria or virus attacks, the immune system gets activated and destroys the pathogen. In normal cases, the immune system normalises within some time. However, in patients with auto-immune disease, the immune system remains activated and attacks the healthy cells of the body. It may also damage the healthy cells and cause damage to the gastrointestinal system.
2. Inheritance: A person with a family history of Cohn's disease is more likely to be affected. So, we can say that genes play an important role in making the population more prone to this disease.
3. Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of Crohn’s disease. IF the patient has Crohn’s disease, smoking further worsens it.

Signs and symptoms of Crohns disease

Signs and symptoms of this disease can range from mild to severe. Usually, it develops gradually, but it can occur suddenly in some cases. Signs and symptoms may include the following.

1. Presence of blood in your stool
2. Reduced appetite and weight loss
3. Diarrhoea
4. Soreness of mouth 
5. Fever
6. Fatigue
7. Pain, or pus or fluid drainage around or near the anus due to inflammation from a tunnel into the fistula
8. Abdominal pain
9. Cramps in the abdominal area
10. Rectal bleeding

Diagnosis of Crohn's disease

The following tests can be performed to find out the reason for the symptoms and to diagnose Crohn's disease:

1. Blood Test: A blood sample is taken from the patient for checking the presence of anaemia.
2. Stool Test: In the stool sample, the diagnostic agents perform tests to determine the presence of blood or any disease-causing parasite.
3. Colonoscopy: In this process, doctors can see the whole colon of the patient using a thin, flexible, lighted tube having a camera at its end. It helps doctors to check the presence of any type of injury.
4. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: The whole gastrointestinal tract is studied internally in this procedure. It helps in finding out the presence of any fistulae.
5. Imaging techniques: CT Scan and CT enterography are the other methods used to diagnose Crohn's disease.

Treatment 

There is no perfect treatment available for Crohn's disease. However, some techniques are employed to suppress the effects of the disease. Treatment of this disease includes Medication, Bowel Rest, Diet, and Nutrition, and the last option to treat is surgery.

Medication: Medications like Corticosteroids, Antibiotics, biologics, Immunomodulators, and Aminosalicylates are used to relieve the symptoms. Immunosuppressants are used to stop inflammation. It is prescribed in the case of drugs that did not work. Steroids are given to ease swelling. These are given for a short period. The doctor may also recommend psyllium husk to manage mild to moderate diarrhoea. For severe diarrhoea, the patient is advised to take loperamide. 

Nutrition therapy: Nutrition therapy improves the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. This therapy includes feeding through a tube or infusion through veins to allow the bowel to have rest. It provides time for the inflammation of the bowel tomsubside. 

Lifestyle changes: Several lifestyle alterations may improve the symptoms and reduce the frequency of recurence. The patients should limit their intake of dairy products, drink plenty of fluids, eat small meals, and consider taking vitamin supplements. Patients should learn different techniques to manage stress, such as yoga and meditation, and strictly avoid smoking. 

Surgery: Even though other medications work for some time, some people will still require surgery at a later stage. Here are some common types of surgery used for treating Crohn’s disease. 

Strictureplasty: Clears up the blockade caused by a long time of swelling in the digestive tract of patients.

Bowel Resection: The surgeon removes the damaged part of the intestine and then joins the healthy parts together.

Fistula Removal: This process is needed when the ulcer is not treated with the medicines. In this process, the surgeon either closes the fistula with a plug or uses medical glue.

Colectomy: In this process, the colon or rectum is removed, and then the path of the digestive tract is changed, and the waste can be discharged into an external bag.

Ileostomy: The doctor makes a hole, called a stoma, either temporarily or permanently, to eliminate stool. The stool is collected in a bag that is present outside the body. 

Anastomosis: The doctor removes the damaged part of the intestine and attaches the remaining ends during anastomosis. 

The goal of the medical treatment is to 

1. Reduce the inflammation that triggers your signs and symptoms.
2. Another goal is to improve long-term prognosis by limiting complications.
3. In the best cases, this may lead not only to symptom relief but also to long-term remission

There are still not enough pieces of evidence about the cause of Crohn's disease. But, some of the common risk factors are as follows.

1. Bacteria in the digestive tract may also trigger the immune cells to attack their healthy cells, leading to inflammation.
2. People having a family history of Crohn's disease are more prone to it.
3. Depression and Anxiety can also play an important role in developing Crohn's disease.
4. Eating a high sugar and dairy diet may also increase the risk of developing Crohn's disease.
5. Other factors may include smoking and frequent use of certain antibiotics and contraceptive pills.
6. People around the age of 30 years
7. High intake of monosaccharides and saturated fats and low intake of fibres
8. Infections like the common cold
9. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac

There is no absolute way to prevent Crohn's disease because it often arrives without any indications, and it is difficult to recognise it in its early stage. However, the risk of this disease can be significantly reduced through the following measures:

1. Improving your lifestyle can help you a lot in this case.
2. Stop smoking with immediate effect because smoking increases the risk of getting Crohn’s disease by many folds and can worsen the case toward severity.
3. Eat a healthy and low-fat diet.
4. If you have stress, you should try to join a stress management program to reduce it.
5. Adding some exercise like cardio will help you to prevent Crohn’s disease.
6. There is no absolute way to prevent Crohn's disease because it often arrives without any indications, and it is difficult to recognise it in its early stage. However, the risk of this disease can be significantly be reduced through the following measures:
7. Improving your lifestyle can help you a lot in this case.
8. Stop smoking with immediate effect because smoking increases the risk of getting Crohn’s disease by many folds and can worsen the case toward severity.
9. Eat a healthy and low-fat diet.
10. If you have stress, you should try to join a stress management program to reduce it.
11. Adding some exercise like cardio will help you to prevent Crohn’s disease.

 

1. Book an appointment with the doctor if you experience any of the symptoms of Crohn's disease, such as diarrhoea, change in bowel movement, blood in stool, or loss of appetite.
2. Visit the hospital on the date and time of the appointment. Get yourself registered by paying the registration and consultation fee. 
3. Provide detailed information about the symptoms you are experiencing and the current medications.
4. The doctor will also seek information about your lifestyle, food habits, whether you are smoking or drinking and how often you smoke or drink.
5. The doctor may recommend certain tests to accurately determine the cause of your symptoms.
6. The doctor may give you certain medications that may provide relief from symptoms till the report of the tests comes. However, the precise treatment for the disease would be initiated once the doctor diagnoses the disease and its cause.
7. You may also ask questions regarding your diet and ways to reduce the severity of symptoms.