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Chron's Disease |
What Is It?
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Crohn's Disease is an illness that comes under the
heading of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). IBD is a group of chronic
disorders that cause inflammation and ulcerations in the small and large
intestines. Crohn's
Disease may affect any part of the digestive system, and all the layers of
the bowel system are likely to become severly inflamed. |
What are the Symptoms?
The
most common symptoms of Crohn's Disease are pain in the lower right abdominal
area, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. The symptoms will vary
in severity from person to person, and may flare up or improve at different
times.
Who's at Risk?
Crohn's
Disease seems to affect males and females equally and appears to run in some
families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn's Disease have another blood
family member with a form of IBD.
Around
2 million Americans have a form of IBD, including an estimated 200,000
children. The onset of an IBD usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 25, and
if a person discovers it later in life, between ages 50 and 80.
The
IBDs are largely a disease found in the developed world, principally the U.S.
and Europe. Crohn's Disease is reported to be more common in urban areas in the
northern climates.
Crohn's
Disease is four to five times more likely to affect Jewish Americans than other
groups.
What's the Cause?
No
one is sure what the cause is but there have been many suggestions and theories
that viruses, bacteria,
diet, stress, and smoking are the possible causes. But,
there is no definite evidence that any one of these cause Crohn's Disease.
What's the Cure?
There
is no known cure for this disease but there are several drugs that are helpful
in controlling the symptoms. The goals of therapy are to correct nutritional
deficiencies, to control inflammation and to relieve abdonminal pain, diarrhea,
and rectal bleeding.
The
following drugs may be used as treatment: Sulfasalazine, Steriod Drugs,
Antibiotics, Mesalimine, 5-ASA, Azathioprine, and 6-mmercaptopurine.
No
special diet has been developed for preventing or treating Crohn's Diseas, but
a balanced diet is reccommended. Some have found that certain foods or spices
do make their symptoms worse, so it is suggested that they avoid them. Here are
some of the foods and or habits that may irritate the already existing problem:
alcohol, milk, spicy foods, greasy foods, fiber-enriched foods, and smoking.
More Information
For
more information on Crohn's Disease:
Chron's & Colitis Foundation of America
Yahoo
Chron's Disease Search Page