Crohn's Disease
Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It also can be referred to by several different names including: regional enteritis, ileitis or enteritis. The symptoms can vary from person to person, and are known to include: abdominal pain, possibly bloody diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, weight loss and weight gain. External effects are skin rashes, arthritis, and inflammation of the eye.
Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. 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.
A Polish surgeon independently described the disease by the name of Antoni Lesniowski back in 1904 and by an American, Burrill Bernard Crohn in 1932.
Crohn's Disease
Because the symptoms of Crohn’s disease are similar to other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, it can be difficult to diagnose. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine. In Crohn’s disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved, and normal healthy bowel can be found between sections of diseased bowel.
Men and women are both affected equally by Crohn’s and it also seems to run in families more often than not. Statistics show that the disease runs in the family as about 20 per cent of those who have it also have a family member whose got it as well.
It can also occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20-30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s disease.