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You are here: Home / Chronic Illnesses / Fatigue Disorders: Crohn’s Disease

Fatigue Disorders: Crohn’s Disease

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Crohn’s Disease is a chronic disorder (inflammatory bowel disease) that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. Crohn’s Disease can affect any area of the GI tract, but commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine. The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.

Crohn’s Disease can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

Crohn’s Disease is typically inherited and it seems to affect men and women equally. Crohns disease often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohns disease.

Symptoms

  • Abdominal pain in the lower right area
  • Diarrhea
  • Rectal bleeding which may be serious – leads to anemia
  • Weight loss
  • Arthritis
  • Skin problems
  • Fever
  • Diagnosis

    Blood tests are run to check for anemia, which could indicate bleeding in the intestines. Blood tests may also uncover a high white blood cell count, which is a sign of inflammation somewhere in the body. By testing a stool sample, the doctor can tell if there is bleeding or infection in the intestines.

  • An Upper GI series may be taken of the small intestines and a visual exam of the colon by performing either a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy.
  • Treatment

    Treatment may include drugs, nutrition supplements, surgery, or a combination of these options. Treatment for Crohns disease depends on the location and severity of disease, complications, and the persons response to previous medical treatments when treated for reoccurring symptoms.

    Complications

  • The most common complication is blockage of the intestine. Blockage occurs because the disease tends to thicken the intestinal wall with swelling and scar tissue, narrowing the passage. Crohns disease may also cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The areas around the anus and rectum are often involved.
  • Deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins cause nutritional complications in Crohn’s patients.PrognosisSome people have long periods of remission, sometimes years, when they are free of symptoms. However, the disease usually recurs at various times over a person’s lifetime. This changing pattern of the disease means one cannot always tell when a treatment has helped. Predicting when a remission may occur or when symptoms will return is not possible.
  • Resources for Crohn’s Disease Patients
    Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America
    Digestive Diseases
    Crohn’s Online

    Filed Under: Chronic Illnesses Tagged With: Crohn's Disease

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. tina says

      April 9, 2008 at 11:25 am

      I believe that one of the reasons for not diagnosing Crohn’s properly is that medical professionals (and I use that term loosely after all that we have been through), focus on the pain being in the lower right abdomen. This was definitely not the case for my 15 year old daughter. Her pain was above her bellybutton area. She also was never having problems with an upset stomach but had constant constipation. She had over ten ulcers in her and lost down to 94lbs. It was a nightmare that went undiagnosed for five months and we went to four different doctors trying to get help. None of our doctors wouldn’t refer her out as he wanted to solve the problem and didn’t think she was that bad off. He wanted to do all the GI testing himself and took his sweet time assuring us it was her gallbladder. After finding that her gallbladder was barely functioning and before doing any other testing, he rushed her for emergency surgery. Thankfully the admitting ER doctor stopped the process and was able to get us in the next day to see a pediatric GI which I had been trying to do and had been put on a three month waiting list since I didn’t have my doctor’s referral… My daughter was immediately diagnosed with Crohn’s and then went through testing which more than confirmed it. She began medication immediately and we could see improvement right before our eyes within a day though it has taken months to get her healthy. She will be on 6mp indefinitely to suppress her immune system in order to keep her well…

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