There are a very large number of people in the world suffering from Crohn’s disease. This disease attacks the gastrointestinal tract and can make life very difficult to live at times. Constant trips to the restroom during symptom flare ups can be beyond frustrating.
Crohn’s is a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract of people. Unlike many diseases which will appear later in life, Crohn’s tends to be diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 and 25. Also unlike many other diseases, it also affects the men and women equally. People who have family members with Crohn’s disease are at an advanced risk of potentially contracting it as well.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. The most common version has it being located in the large intestine where it can inflame the entire bowel wall. However, that’s not all for Crohn’s. After the initial bowel inflammation, it also can affect a person’s eyes, skin, bones and also their joints.
What is Crohn’s Disease’s link to Colitis?
Crohn’s disease is commonly linked with ulcerative colitis. This is because the two diseases are very similar to each other. Both of them are classified as inflammatory bowel diseases or IBDs. Many people confused both Crohn’s and Colitis with IBS, however they are very different.
While Crohn’s disease can be located at any location throughout the digestive tract, Colitis is different. Colitis is only ever found in the large intestine and the inflammation is only on the interior of the large intestine, whereas Crohn’s can inflame the entire bowel wall. Crohn’s disease also has far more common.
Since these are so similar, they are often studied by researchers in tandem. They do this to ensure that one day a cure can be completed for the entirety of inflammatory bowel diseases. Many foundations and charities actually embrace both within the title.
What are the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?
There are many different symptoms that people may exhibit when they contract Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s doesn’t have a simple set of symptoms, but can range from very light to very severe symptoms. Also since Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, the symptoms will be different depending on which area has been affected. Here are things to look out for:
- Rectal Bleeding - Not a comfortable sensation to be sure. Rectal bleeding is common in those suffering from Crohn’s.
- Loss of Appetite - Many no longer wish to eat and find it difficult to eat.
- Unexplained Weight Loss - Some people may see unexpected weight loss as a blessing, but the truth is that unexpected weight loss is often a symptom of many horrible situations.
- Frequent Diarrhea - This is common throughout those with Crohn’s and is one reason that people like it with IBS so much.
Crohn’s Disease Diet
Since Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract, it’s natural that the food eaten will have an effect on it. Because of this, people with Crohn’s tend towards very specific diets. The intention is to keep it in remission as much as possible to avoid the pain.
There are two main things that a Crohn’s diet avoids. The first is very fatty foods. These can severely enhance the symptoms and turn a minor issue into a major one quickly. Dairy is also on the no fly list for people with Crohn’s. The lactose within it will often cause severe problems to people with Crohn’s.