Crohn's Disease Symptoms, Risk Factors and Diagnosis
What Are the Symptoms of Crohn's Disease?
Crohn's disease symptoms may range from mild to severe and can vary widely from
person to person. Most people experience periods of flare-ups, followed by episodes
of remission when the symptoms decrease or even disappear. Many people with Crohn's
have the following symptoms:
- Persistent diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Fever
- Fatigue
Rectal bleeding and loss of appetite also may occur. In addition to the effects
on the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract, Crohn's disease can affect other areas
of the body, such as the joints, eyes, skin and liver.
What Are Potential Complications of Crohn's Disease?
Along with sometimes painful symptoms, Crohn's disease can lead to complications,
including blockage in the intestine due to swelling, and the formation of scar tissue.
Signs of intestinal blockage may include the following:
- Crampy pain in the mid-abdomen
- Vomiting
- Bloating or distention in the abdomen
Sometimes surgery is needed —especially
if the problem happens frequently.
Other potential complications of Crohn's disease include fissures (small cuts or tears in the anal canal), abscesses (localized infection or collection of pus), and fistulas (abnormal tunnels that form between two structures of the body).
Another complication that can occur with Crohn's disease is malnutrition and unhealthy
weight loss These
usually result from:
- Poor absorption of nutrients due to inflammation or injury in the intestines
- Loss of appetite due to Crohn's symptoms
What Causes Crohn's Disease?
The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. What is known is that it is
a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract.
It is believed to be the result of a combination of factors, including the following:
- Inherited genes
- The immune system – Researchers believe that once the immune system of a
person with Crohn's disease is “turned on,” it doesn't know how to “turn off” at
the right time, causing the body to attack healthy tissue. Excess inflammation occurs
as a result of the body's defense mechanism, which damages the intestines.
- Environmental factors – Foreign substances may stimulate the immune
system or cause intestinal damage that begins or worsens the disease process.
What Are the Risk Factors of Crohn's Disease?
- Age – Though it can occur at any age, most people are diagnosed with Crohn's disease between the ages
of 15 and 35.
- Genetics – Roughly 20% of people with Crohn's disease have a sibling, parent
or child with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a term that covers Crohn's disease,
ulcerative colitis and similar inflammatory diseases.
- Ethnicity – People of European heritage are more likely to develop the disease,
though incidence in African Americans has steadily increased.
- Geography and setting – Though the reasons aren't clear, Crohn's disease
is more likely to occur in people living in northern climates, developed societies
and urban environments.