.If you are just now hearing about Crohn’s disease, you’re probably confused and need an explanation. Okay, so what the heck is Crohn’s disease and why are so many people complaining about it? This is a disease that has numerous conditions attached to it – conditions that are often mistaken for some other disease. Today, we are going to give you a complete rundown so that you understand what the heck Crohn’s disease is.
What Crohn’s Disease Is
When an individual is dealing with this disease, their immune system will start to attack their healthy cells that are located in their GI tract. In return, this will cause inflammation. Being that this is a disease that takes place in the immune system, it is classified as being an autoimmune disorder.
What does this mean? When an individual has Crohn’s, their body will produce antibodies that go against itself. Along with Crohn’s disease, other autoimmune disorders include ulcerative colitis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Who Can Get it?
Any one of any age can get it, however, it can pop up during the teenage years. Mind you, this doesn’t mean it won’t pop up during your adult years. On another note, it is rare for a child to have the disease.
Having Crohn’s disease will make your life very problematic. The most common area that is affected by the disease is the ileum, which is the last part of your small intestine. This disease causes inflammation, which spreads into the layers of the bowel tissue, causing an extreme amount of pain and discomfort. Yes, it can even cause complications that are life-threatening.
Symptoms
There are various symptoms, but the first signs include:
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Cramping in the abdominal region
- Nausea
Mind you, these symptoms aren’t there every waking hour, they can come and go at any given time.
Other symptoms that may be present, but are not common include:
- Skin rash
- Bloody stool
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Mouth ulcers
- Constipation
What Causes the Disease?
At this point in time, even though a large amount of research has been conducted, no one knows exactly what the cause of Crohn’s is. Scientists believe there are a combination of factors that cause this disease. These factors include:
- Genetics
- Environmental factors
- Immune system issues
If you have this disease, you could have inherited the gene, then something could have happened in your life that triggered this gene, which caused an overreaction and in return, an inflammation happened in your intestines.
Is there Treatment Available?
Currently, there is no cure for this disease, but there are treatment options available that can help keep it under control – you may even choose to change your diet and eat food that is more friendly to your body.
So, what goes on in the body? Inflammation is the body’s natural response to any form of abdominal stimulation, such as an infection or injury. When the body works in order to fight off an infection, pain, redness and swelling can occur. Crohn’s may not have a cure, but that doesn’t mean you cannot control it.
