Crohns Disease Causes » Small Intestine http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com Help, Cures and Support for Crohns Disease Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:07:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Ulcerated Colitis http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/ulcerated-colitis/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/ulcerated-colitis/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:03:16 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=172 Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease in which the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated (pitted or eroded), leading to flare-ups (bouts or attacks) of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. The long-term risk of colon cancer is increased. Ulcerative colitis may start at any age but usually begins between the ages of 15 and 30.

A small group of people have their first attack between the ages of 50 and 70.Ulcerative colitis usually does not affect the full thickness of the wall of the large intestine and hardly ever affects the small intestine. The disease usually begins in the rectum or the rectum and the sigmoid colon (the lower end of the large intestine) but may eventually spread along part or all of the large intestine.

Ulcerative proctitis, which is confined to the rectum, is a very common and relatively benign form of ulcerative colitis. In some people, most of the large intestine is affected early on.

The cause of ulcerative colitis is not known for certain, but heredity and an overactive immune response in the intestine seem to be contributing factors. Cigarette smoking, which is detrimental in Crohns disease, seems to decrease the risk of ulcerative colitis.

However, smoking in order to reduce the risk of ulcerative colitis is ill-advised in light of the many health problems that smoking can cause. Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon, that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores, in the colon. The main symptom of active disease is usually diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. Ulcerative colitis is, however, a systemic disease that affects many parts of the body outside the intestine.

Because of the name, IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (“IBS”), a troublesome, but much less serious condition. Ulcerative colitis has similarities to Crohns disease, another form of IBD. Ulcerative colitis is an intermittent disease, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Although the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can sometimes diminish on their own, the disease usually requires treatment to go into remission.

Ulcerative colitis is a rare disease, with an incidence of about one person per 10,000 in North America. The disease tends to be more common in northern areas. Although ulcerative colitis has no known cause, there is a presumed genetic component to susceptibility.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/ulcerated-colitis/feed/ 0 Early Stage Symptoms of Crohns http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/early-stage-symptoms-of-crohns/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/early-stage-symptoms-of-crohns/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:34:03 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=122 The most common early symptoms of Crohns disease are chronic diarrhea (which sometimes is bloody), crampy abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Symptoms may continue for days or weeks and may resolve without treatment.

Complete and permanent recovery after a single attack is extremely rare. Crohns disease almost always flares up at irregular intervals throughout a person’s life. Flare-ups can be mild or severe, brief or prolonged. Severe flare-ups can lead to intense pain, dehydration, and blood loss. Why the symptoms come and go and what triggers new flare-ups or determines their severity is not known. Recurrent inflammation tends to appear in the same area of the intestine, but it may spread to adjacent areas after a diseased segment has been removed surgically.

Common complications of inflammation include scarring that can produce intestinal blockage (obstruction) and deep ulcers penetrating through the bowel wall that can create pus-filled pockets of infection (abscesses) or abnormal connecting channels between the intestine and other organs (fistulas). Fistulas may connect two different parts of the intestine. Fistulas also may connect the intestine and bladder or the intestine and the skin surface, especially around the anus.

Although fistulas from the small intestine are common, wide-open holes (perforations) are rare. When the large intestine is affected extensively by Crohns disease, rectal bleeding commonly occurs. After many years, the risk of colon cancer (cancer of the large intestine) is greatly increased. About one third of people who develop Crohns disease have problems around the anus, especially fistulas and cracks (fissures) in the lining of the mucus membrane of the anus.

Crohns disease may lead to complications in other parts of the body. These complications include gallstones, inadequate absorption of nutrients, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and deposits of the protein amyloid in several organs (amyloidosis). When Crohns disease causes a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms, the person may also experience inflammation of the joints (arthritis), inflammation of the whites of the eyes (episcleritis), mouth sores (aphthous stomatitis), inflamed skin nodules on the arms and legs (erythema nodosum), and blue-red skin sores containing pus (pyoderma gangrenosum). Even when Crohns disease is not causing a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms, the person still may experience pyoderma gangrenosum, while inflammation of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis), inflammation of the pelvic joints (sacroiliitis), inflammation inside the eye (uveitis), or inflammation of the bile ducts (primary sclerosing cholangitis) are liable to occur entirely without relation to the clinical activity of the bowel disease.

In children, gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea often are not the main symptoms and may not appear at all. Instead, the main symptoms may be slow growth, joint inflammation, fever, or weakness and fatigue resulting from anemia.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/early-stage-symptoms-of-crohns/feed/ 0 Crohns Disease Surgery http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-surgery-2/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-surgery-2/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:29:59 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=116 Crohns disease can cause a variety of symptoms of gastrointestinal distress.

The three classic (though not specific) symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease are:
•    Persistent or recurrent diarrhea (possibly with blood, mucus, or pus)
•    Abdominal pain
•    Fever

There also may be signs and symptoms unrelated to the gastrointestinal tract. A doctor will obtain a complete medical history and perform a thorough physical examination, along with laboratory and diagnostic tests, to diagnose Crohns disease. The examination and other tests are necessary to rule out a number of transient conditions, such as viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection, that cause symptoms similar to Crohns disease.

Diarrhea
In cases of Crohns disease, patients often experience frequent loose or watery bowel movements. The stool is occasionally accompanied by thick, dark blood (not bright red smears of blood, which usually result from a bleeding hemorrhoid). There is less mucus or pus in the stool than in cases of ulcerative colitis.

Pain
Patients may experience crampy, achy, or even sharp pain in the affected area. Most often, patients with Crohns disease feel pain on the lower right side of the abdomen (lower right quadrant) and just below the bellybutton. This is because the majority of cases of Crohns disease involve disease in the terminal ileum, where the small intestine meets the large intestine. The terminal ileum crosses from left to right just above the beltline, and joins the large intestine in the lower right quadrant. The type of pain associated with Crohns disease depends on what part of the GI tract is affected. Disease in the terminal ileum generally causes sharp pain, while disease in the colon causes more crampy pain, similar to that that of ulcerative colitis. Pain is sometimes relieved (temporarily) after a bowel movement.

Fever
Crohn’s is an inflammatory disease, and one of the key characteristics of the inflammatory process is fever. (The others are pain, swelling, and redness.) Some individuals with Crohns disease suffer a high fever, especially during the acute phase of a flare-up. Others run a persistent, low-grade fever. Fever may be accompanied by irritability and fatigue. Sometimes, the fever recurs each day, especially late in the day, then repeatedly breaks during sleep, causing night sweats.

Signs and Symptoms Unrelated To The GI Tract
A number of signs and symptoms that do not involve the gastrointestinal tract can occur with Crohns disease. These may occur at the same time as the intestinal symptoms, or may be experienced weeks or even months before any intestinal symptoms are noticed. If your doctor suspects inflammatory bowel disease, he or she will ask you detailed questions about whether or not these extra-intestinal symptoms have appeared:
•    Reddening and inflammation of the eye (iritis)
•    Joint pain (usually in the large joints of the knees, ankles, elbows, wrists, and shoulders), which sometimes migrates from one joint to another (migrating arthralgia)
•    Skin lesions, including tender red nodules on the shins or calves (erythema nodosum)
•    Sores inside the mouth (aphthous ulcers)

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-surgery-2/feed/ 0 Crohns Disease in Children http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-in-children/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-in-children/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=82 In the last quarter century, it has become clear that Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis affect large numbers of children and young teens. Nutritional deficiency is a major issue in treatment of children with Crohns disease. Children are growing machines.

Inflammatory bowel disease may not cause great weight loss for youngsters at first, so failure to grow normally or backsliding on height and weight charts should be taken as signs that something is wrong and worth investigating. Children facing Crohns disease also have significant self-image issues to deal with.

The disease changes their routines, and its effects may separate them from the normal activities of childhood and adolescence. Therefore, these youngsters need sensitive support from family, friends, and physicians to help them maintain their social, as well as their physical, growth. Crohns disease is a serious, chronic disease affecting the digestive system. Chronic means that the disease is long-term and persistent, usually lifelong. Crohns disease causes inflammation, most often in the small intestine (which has three parts: duodenum, jejunum, and ileum).

The walls and lining of the affected areas become red and inflamed, leading to ulcers and bleeding. Crohns disease sometimes is named by referring to inflammation in the part of the intestine affected, such as jejunoileitis, ileitis, ileocolitis, or colitis (when it involves the large intestine, also called the colon).

Crohns disease can appear at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in adults in their 20s and 30s. However, approximately 30% of people with Crohns disease develop symptoms before 20 years of age. In the United States, about 100,000 teens and preteens have Crohns disease.Along with ulcerative colitis, a similar illness, Crohns disease is also called inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD.

Ulcerative colitis attacks only the large intestine in a continuous manner and does not affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall. Crohns disease, on the other hand, can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, from mouth to the anus, attacks different sites in the intestine with areas of normal intestine in between (“skip lesions”), and affects the full thickness of the intestinal wall.

Both conditions wax and wane: there are times when symptoms reappear or get worse (exacerbations or “flares”) and other periods when symptoms get better or go away altogether (“remission”).While Crohns disease causes many problems for people of all ages, it can present special challenges for children and teens. In addition to bothersome and often painful symptoms, the disease can stunt growth, delay puberty, and weaken the bones. Crohns disease symptoms may sometimes prevent a child from participating in enjoyable activities.

The emotional and psychological issues of living with chronic disease can be especially difficult for young people. As many as 70% of children with the disease have inflammation of the lower part of the ileum. More than half of these children also have inflammation in variable segments of the colon.

•    About 10%-20% of children have inflammation in the colon only.
•    Another 10%-15% have inflammation scattered around the small bowel, mainly in the middle section (jejunum and upper ileum).
•    A very small number have inflammation only in the stomach and the uppermost section of the small intestine where the stomach empties into the bowel (duodenum).

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-in-children/feed/ 0 Crohns Disease Diet http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-diet/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-diet/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:01:27 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=72 For those suffering from Crohns Disease diet and nutrition are of utmost concern. Although there is no evidence to show that the condition is caused by nutritional factors, the food you eat can affect the symptoms of the disorder.

Because inflammatory bowel disease manifests itself differently from patient to patient, and can affect so many different areas of the digestive tract, there is not one specific diet for Crohns Disease that works for everyone. Rather, it is an experimental process whereby the patient determines what foods tend to aggravate the condition, and makes dietary changes based on this determination.

As Crohns is marked by flareups, with good periods and bad periods, the Crohns Disease diet may have to be adjusted accordingly.Some patients follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which entails curbing carbs that are difficult to digest. This may offer relief for certain symptoms, but has yet to be supported by clinical evidence.
The best diet for Crohns Disease is a healthy balanced one, including all of the food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, whole grains, fats and protein should all be included daily, with those foods that may cause flare-ups eliminated or at least minimized.

One of the major concerns for patients is the strong possibility of malnutrition due to the inability of the impaired small intestine to properly digest and absorb nutrients from the food they eat.So even with a fully-balanced Crohns Disease diet, it is likely that you are not getting the nutrients you need. Add to that the common loss of appetite and the increased energy the body needs to combat the illness and many patients find themselves in a state of severe malnutrition.

This can and will lead to further health complications down the road. That is why many Crohns patients choose to take nutritional supplements to make sure they are getting the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other important nutrients they may not be getting from their diet for Crohns disease.

High quality supplements can offer a full spectrum of vital ingredients, including B12, folic acid, Vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, trace elements and other specific nutrients that are often lacking in Crohns patients. One of the most complete nutritional supplements we have found is called Total Balance which is manufactured by a highly-regarded natural health company. It contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in one comprehensive formula.

What separates this supplement from others is that it has an enteric coating which significantly increases the amount of nutrients that can be used by your cells and tissues, unlike others where a large percentage of nutrients get destroyed by stomach acids. Although some patients get adequate nourishment from a complete Crohns Disease diet, supplements are certainly worth consideration to ensure that your body gets what it needs.

As with all nutrition programs, a diet for Crohns Disease should be as well-balanced as possible, and include ample amounts of diverse foods. A nutritionist can offer diet help Crohns Disease patients can use to form the basis of their eating.

They can then tailor the regimen based on their specific needs. It’s important to check with your doctor to determine if supplementation might be right for you. In many cases, poor appetite, poor absorption and increased requirements may make you malnourished, and it might make sense to supplement these important nutrients to complement your Crohns diet.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-diet/feed/ 0 Crohns Disease and Complexion http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-complexion/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-complexion/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:57:19 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=66 Crohns disease is a chronic inflammatory condition involving the small intestine, most often the lower part called the ileum. However, inflammation may also affect the entire digestive tract, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, appendix or anus. Crohns disease is also called ileitis or enteritis.

Crohns disease affects a half million Americans, many aged 15 to 35 years.

Previous studies of vitamin D status in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease have revealed conflicting results. We sought to report (1) the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D concentration < or = 15 ng/mL) in a large population with inflammatory bowel disease, (2) factors predisposing to this problem, and (3) its relationship to bone health and serum parathyroid hormone concentration.

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Factors predisposing to the problem include having a dark-skin complexion, winter season, lack of vitamin D supplementation, early stage of disease, more severe disease, and upper gastrointestinal tract involvement in patients with Crohns disease.

The long-term significance of vitamin D deficiency for this population is unknown at present and merits additional study. A 42-year-old blond Caucasian woman taking azathioprine for 8 years developed an intra-epidermal carcinoma of the shin. She regularly used a sun bed to maintain a tan. Although the increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in immunosuppressed transplant recipients is well recognized, patients with Crohns disease are not currently warned of the risk of exposure to ultraviolet light.

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease who take azathioprine, especially those with a fair complexion, should be informed of the potential dangers of sun bathing and should be advised to limit sun exposure. Spleen Deficiency – may be due to constitutional deficiency or overeating cold and raw food.

Patients with Crohns disease usually have spleen deficiency characterized by a compromised ability of the spleen to transform and transport food. Symptoms include frequent and severe diarrhea, watery stool with undigested food, dull abdominal pain, poor appetite, poor digestion, gastric discomfort after food intake, pale facial complexion, fatigue and lethargy due to chronic malabsorption and malnutrition.

Diagnostic criteria for this type of ulcerative colitis includes loose bowels made worse by poor lifestyle habits or consumption of greasy foods, undigested foods in the stools, lack of appetite, distention, fatigue and sallow complexion. On examination, the tongue is pale and covered by white fur; the pulse is weak and thready. Diagnostic criteria for this type include diarrhea with mucus or darkish blood, straining for defecation, fixed stabbing pain, distention, belching and a darkish complexion. On examination, the tongue is purple with bleeding spots; the pulse is taut and hesitant.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-complexion/feed/ 0 Crohns Disease and Post Surgical Blockage http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-post-surgical-blockage/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-post-surgical-blockage/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:02:31 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=54 An intestinal obstruction is a partial or complete blockage of the small or large intestine. Surgery is sometimes necessary to relieve the obstruction. The small intestine is composed of three major sections: the duodenum just below the stomach; the jejunum, or middle portion; and the ileum, which empties into the large intestine.

The large intestine is composed of the colon, where stool is formed; and the rectum, which empties to the outside of the body through the anal canal. A blockage that occurs in the small intestine is called a small bowel obstruction, and one that occurs in the colon is a colonic obstruction.There are numerous conditions that may lead to an intestinal obstruction. The three most common causes of small bowel obstruction are adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that form in the abdomen following injury or surgery; hernias, which develop when a portion of the intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall; and cancerous tumors.

Adhesions account for approximately 50% of all small bowel obstructions, hernias for 15%, and tumors for 15%. Other causes include volvulus, or formation of kinks or knots in the bowel; the presence of foreign bodies in the digestive tract; intussusception, which occurs when a portion of the intestine telescopes or pulls over another portion; infection; and congenital defects.

While most small bowel blockages can be treated with the administration of intravenous (IV) fluids and decompression of the bowel by the insertion of a nasogastric (NG) tube, surgical intervention is necessary in approximately 25% of patients with a partial obstruction, and 50%–65% of patients with a complete obstruction.An obstruction of the large intestine is less common than blockages of the small intestine.

Blockages of the large bowel are usually caused by colon cancer; volvulus; diverticulitis (inflammation of sac-like structures called diverticula that form in the intestines); ischemic colitis (inflammation of the colon resulting from insufficient blood flow); Crohns disease (a disease that causes chronic inflammation of the intestines); inflammation due to radiation therapy; and the presence of foreign bodies. As in the case of small bowel obstruction, most patients with a blockage of the large intestine can be treated with IV fluids and bowel decompression. To cut is not to cure. Every clinician involved in caring for patients with Crohns disease is facing this dilemma.

Although resection of stenotic or perforated intestinal segments is often unavoidable, surgical remission is only temporary in patients with Crohns disease. More than 70% of patients will have new lesions detected by endoscopy within a year, and 40% will be symptomatic within 4 years.1 Repeated bowel resections can result in short-bowel syndrome, and the quest for bowel-conserving strategies has introduced both endoscopic and surgical strictureplasty to clinical practice over the last 25 years.

Material and methods : We prospectively evaluated 128 patients with Crohns disease at the moment of diagnosis. We predicted the evolution of their disease using the mathematical model Z = -9.49 + 2.2643 (AD) – 0.0066 (DD) + 2.5282 (AM) + 1.3433 (OS). The cut-off value (reveiver operating characteristics curve) obtained in the training set of patients was P = 0.45. A value higher than this cut off discriminated patients who developed a stricturing pattern. The actual behaviour of the patients’ Crohns disease was observed after a median of 19 months from diagnosis. Of the 128 patients, 80 were classified into one of the two known patterns. Thirty-nine patients (48.8%) developed a stricturing pattern while 41 (51.2%) had a penetrating form of Crohns disease. Results : The sensitivity of the model for predicting a stricturing type was 100% and the specificity was 31.7%. A P value of < 0.45 proved to be highly reliable in predicting the evolution to a penetrating pattern (positive predictive value was 100% and negative predictive value was 58%). No statistical differences were found between stricturing-type or penetrating-type groups in terms of anal disease, abdominal mass, duration of disease or onset of symptoms.

Compared to patients with the penetrating form, initial ileal location was significantly more frequent than colonic location in patients with the stricturing type of Crohns disease.Conclusions : We have validated a simple mathematical model that is able to predict the behaviour of Crohns disease in patients based on clinical variables collected at their initial evaluation.

This model can be considered a useful tool for patient management. The anatomical location of the disease is related to the evolutive pattern.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/crohns-disease-and-post-surgical-blockage/feed/ 0 Constipation and Crohns Disease http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/constipation-and-crohns-disease/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/constipation-and-crohns-disease/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:40:03 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=40 Constipation in Crohns disease is usually a symptom of obstruction in the small intestine. Constipation can be a symptom of UC, but not as common as diarrhea. Can occur during flare-ups. May occur when the inflamed rectum triggers a reflex response in the colon that causes it to retain the stool.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome often have fluctuating symptoms over long periods of time. Patients may experience gas, bloating, dyspepsia, constipation, diarrhea, flatus, diarrhea alternating with constipation, and the passage of mucous in the stools. Crampy abdominal pain may be present. It is the goal of physicians to assess these complex symptoms and address these complaints by performing appropriate medical tests.

Patients with constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome should be treated with an increase in fiber. If the fiber content of their stool is increased and patients continue to experience constipation, addition of non-stimulant laxatives can be instituted. These are stool softeners, such as Colace or Surfak. Others such as milk of Magnesia or lactulose may be useful.

Patients with constipation, and the above complaints, are usually not treated with tricyclic antidepressants because of the possibility of exacerbating their constipation. Constipation means different things to different people. For many people, it simply means infrequent stools.

For others, however, constipation means hard stools, difficulty passing stools (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement. The cause of each of these “types” of constipation probably is different, and the approach to each should be tailored to the specific type of constipation. Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation, GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia and other gastrointestinal problems can cause pain, discomfort, adverse complications and disruption of your normal activities.

Clinical trials allow you to play an active role in your healthcare and give you access to new research treatments before they are available to the general public. Mitamins custom make quality formulas for the treatment of Constipation & Crohn’s Disease with vitamins. A Constipation & Crohn’s Disease formula will be made to suit you, using quality brand name ingredients. Mitamins produce custom made vitamin and supplement formulas to suit your individual health needs conveniently in one formula, one bottle and one dosage. Constipation is a symptom of Crohn’s disease but it’s not as common as diarrhea. It often occurs during a flare up, and is characterized by having a bowel movement less than three times within a week.

Constipation can be very uncomfortable and cause bloating, straining and the feeling of a full bowel.Constipation is quite common, and is something the average person experiences regardless if they suffer from an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or other digestive condition.  Constipation results when the colon absorbs too much water from the waste material or the colon’s muscle contracts slowly or is sluggish. This causes stool to dramatically slow down on its journey through the colon.

The outcome of constipation is often dry, hard, pebble-like stool that is difficult to pass. Causes of constipation may differ depending on the person. For instance, while constipation may be a result from a poor diet in one person, it could be the result of taking medication in another. Therefore, in order to treat constipation, a Crohn’s sufferer should first learn about the most common causes of constipation and then assess their condition.

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]]> http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/constipation-and-crohns-disease/feed/ 0 Colitis and Crohns http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/colitis-and-crohns/ http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/colitis-and-crohns/#comments Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:01:49 +0000 Dr Joe Stevenson http://crohnsdiseasecauses.com/?p=18 Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, describes two similar yet distinct conditions called Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases affect the digestive system and cause the intestinal tissue to become inflamed, form sores and bleed easily. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, fatigue and diarrhea.Crohns disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Patches of inflammation occur, with healthy tissue between the diseased areas.

The inflammation can extend through every layer of affected bowel tissue. Crohns disease can not be cured by drugs or surgery, although either or both can help relieve symptoms.Ulcerative colitis affects only the inner layer of the colon, or large bowel. It always starts in the rectum and may extend as a continuous inflammation from there into the rest of the colon. Usually ulcerative colitis can be controlled with medication. The disease can be completely eliminated by surgically removing the colon, but afterward, waste material may have to be stored and expelled through an external appliance.

While ulcerative colitis causes inflammation only in the colon (colitis) and/or the rectum (proctitis), Crohns disease may cause inflammation in the colon, rectum, small intestine (jejunum and ileum), and, occasionally, even the stomach, mouth, and esophagus.The patterns of inflammation in Crohns disease are different from ulcerative colitis. Except in the most severe cases, the inflammation of ulcerative colitis tends to involve the superficial layers of the inner lining of the bowel. The inflammation also tends to be diffuse and uniform. (All of the lining in the affected segment of the intestine is inflamed.) Unlike ulcerative colitis, the inflammation of Crohns disease is concentrated in some areas more than others and involves layers of the bowel that are deeper than the superficial inner layers. Therefore, the affected segment(s) of bowel in Crohns disease often is studded with deeper ulcers with normal lining between these ulcers.

The most common disease that mimics the symptoms of Crohns disease is ulcerative colitis, as both are inflammatory bowel diseases that can affect the colon with similar symptoms. It is important to differentiate these diseases, since the course of the diseases and treatments may be different. In some cases, however, it may not be possible to tell the difference, in which case the disease is classified as indeterminate colitis.

Currently there is no cure for Crohns disease and remission may not be possible or prolonged if achieved; in cases where remission is possible, relapse can be prevented and symptoms controlled with medication, lifestyle changes and in some cases, surgery. Adequately controlled, Crohns disease may not significantly restrict daily living. Treatment for Crohns disease is only when symptoms are active and involve first treating the acute problem, then maintaining remission.

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