What Is Crohn's Disease And How Did I Get It?

By: Jeff Foster

Crohn's disease is an often debilitating disease that can, without adequate management, very quickly gain control of your life. If you have a new diagnosis of Crohn's disease or if you have been battling it for some time, it is most important that you have a solid understanding of what is Crohn's disease so that you have the best shot at a healthy you.

A well known inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease may also be referred to as enteritis or even ileitis. With Crohn's disease your gastrointestinal or GI tract becomes inflamed which leads to the symptoms of Crohn's disease. This condition can attack any portion of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus, but most often it attacks the lower part of the small intestine, known as the Ilium.

Extending deep into the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, the edema and inflammation of Crohn's disease is what causes the agonal pain of this bowel disease. Because of the swelling in the intestinal tract, the body begins to forcefully and frequently empty the contents of the G.I. tract which results in the massive diarrhea commonly associated with Crohn's disease. This pain and diarrhea are the hallmarks of Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is known to be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal conditions such as ulcerative colitis and IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. With all sorts of colitis this disease causes inflammation and ulcerations in just the top layer of the lining of the large intestine, which differs from Crohn's disease as it has the potential to affect all layers of the intestinal tract. Also with Crohn's disease there may be sections of normal healthy bowel which can be found between areas of the diseased bowel.

Currently it seems that Crohn's disease is not partial to the sexes, it interrupts the lives of both men and women equally. However, research does seem to indicate that Crohn's disease does seem to run in families. Many patients who suffer with Crohn's disease also have a blood relative who is fighting the same. If not with Crohn's disease itself, with another inflammatory bowel condition.

It seems a cruel twist of fate that young adulthood, between the ages of 20 and 30, is one of the most exciting times of your life, but it is also the time when most patients are diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Research also currently shows that people of Jewish descent have an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, while those of African-American descent have the lowest risk.

Crohn's disease absolutely is not something to be ignored and not something that you can choose to manage on occasion. You must work very closely with your primary health care provider as well as your gastroenterologist in order to develop a comprehensive treatment plan best designed for your situation.

Yes, Crohn's disease certainly can alter your daily activities and it certainly requires an aggressive management plan designed in collaboration with your physician, but just because you have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease it does not mean that you simply give up on regaining control of your body and finding a healthy medium with which you can live.

Crohn's disease is certainly a challenging condition for many people to manage. While symptoms can range from mild to severe, the ongoing battle to control the abdominal pain and diarrhea associated with this inflammatory bowel disease can put a crimp in anybody's style. You simply must work with your gastroenterologist or primary care physician in order to design it best and most livable treatment plan for you.

What is Crohn's disease? It is a series of chronic symptoms most commonly seen as abdominal pain and diarrhea which are caused by the edema and inflammation of the GI tract which has settled into one or more of the layers of the intestinal tract.

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