crohn’s disease title

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking harmless bacteria in the body. Symptoms include decreased appetite, blood in stool, fatigue, fevers, ulcers, stomach pain, weight loss, and diarrhea. The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown, but it is believed to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Tests such as colonoscopy and endoscopy are used for diagnosis. Crohn's disease is more common in young individuals, particularly females. Risk factors include age, ethnicity, family history, and smoking. Medications and surgeries are used for treatment. Living a healthy lifestyle with exercise, quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and trigger foods, and managing water and fiber intake can help manage the disease. Crohn's disease is progressive but can be kept in remission with treatment and lifestyle changes. Crohn's disease by Alanis Cortes. All people have harmless bacteria running throughout their immune system. This bacteria is ignored since it's not harmful but for people living with Crohn's disease their immune system identifies the bacteria as a foreign invader which leads to painful inflammation resulting in a chronic disease. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease also known as IBD for short that causes chronic inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract. This disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus but is most commonly seen to affect the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. The appearance of Crohn's disease in the GI tract also called regional enteritis can be characterized by a cobblestone like intestinal surface, patchy inflammation, ulcers and seizures, and a thickened intestinal wall. Here we see a side-by-side comparison of what a normal intestine looks like versus a Crohn's disease intestine looks like. We can clearly see the edema deep into the layers of this lining. There's fat wrapping surrounding the Crohn's disease intestine and we see the seizure and the cobblestone like intestinal surface. This is what Crohn's disease symptoms would feel like starting off with anorexia which is a decreased loss of appetite, hematokizia which is blood in your stool, fatigue, pyrexia also known as fevers, mouth sores such as ulcers, stomach aches and cramps, weight loss, and diarrhea. The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown although researchers suggest hereditary genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of this disease. Crohn's disease tends to cluster in families meaning most patients have a first-degree relative with the disease as well. Many researchers categorize the disease as an autoimmune disorder meaning the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body. In order to diagnose Crohn's disease your doctor may recommend the following tests. Colonoscopy. This allows doctors to examine the colon, the lowest part of your large intestine, by inserting a flexible lighted tube through the opening to your anus. An endoscopy. An endoscopy allows doctors to see the gastrointestinal tract from the top down using a flexible lighted tube that's inserted through your mouth down the esophagus into your stomach and as far down as the duodenum. A biopsy. Biopsies are usually performed during a colonoscopy in which they remove a small tissue sample from the rectum and send it to a laboratory to be analyzed and screened. Other tests such as an x-ray, ultrasound, or an MRI scan may be performed to check for inflammation. Here we see two images of the colonoscopy and a endoscopy. There are two forms of endoscopies. One being a lower endoscopy which is a visual examination of the GI tract from the rectum to the cecum and an upper endoscopy which we see here which is from the esophagus to the duodenum. Here in the colonoscopy the doctor or the gastroenterologist, which is who usually performs procedures like this, is putting the scope up the anus to get a visual examination of what their GI tract looks like. Here doctors can find pulps and ulcers. They're really just getting a clear view of what they're dealing with. Crohn's disease is a common disorder affecting as many as 780,000 people in the United States. This disorder is most common in individuals between the ages 15 to 35. The disease is more frequent in females. Crohn's disease is increasing in prevalence worldwide due to a complex interplay between both genetic predisposition and environmental influence. Overall an estimated 3.1 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Risk factors. Age. Crohn's disease can occur at any age. It is more likely however to develop the condition when you're young, between the ages 15 and 30 years old. Ethnicity. Crohn's disease can affect any ethnic group. Caucasian people have the highest risk, especially people of Eastern European Jewish descent. Family history. There's a higher risk for those who have first-degree relatives with the disease. This can mean mom, dad, sibling, or child. Smoking. Cigarette smoking doubles the risk of Crohn's disease. Medication is usually prescribed for those dealing with Crohn's disease. A medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An example is misalamine and this is used to treat and prevent flare-ups of mild to moderately IBD. It works inside the bowels to reduce inflammation and other symptoms of this disease. Another medication is anti-inflammatory medications such as sulfasalazine, which is a disease modifying anti-antirheumatic drug used in the treatment and management of autoimmune conditions. Immunosuppressive drugs are also prescribed and they decrease the intensity of immune responses in the body. Antibiotics are also recommended because it stops the growth of bacteria Steroid is also recommended because it reduces inflammation and activity of the immune system. Types of Crohn's disease surgeries. One of them is the abscess drainage. A fistula repair. A ileostomy, which is where a stool is collected from the abdomen. A protecomy, which is where the anus and colon are removed. A resection is a removal of a piece of a large or small intestine. A strychoplasty is where an intestine is narrowed. A colectomy is where the colon is removed. The most common surgery with Crohn's disease is a ileocecal resection, which is a surgical removal of the cecum along with the most distal portion of the small bowel. Those wanting to live a healthy life with Crohn's disease should exercise. Staying active promotes better health and strengthens the immune system. It can also help the digestive tract work better. Quitting smoking. Smoking is linked to inflammation and can make symptoms of Crohn's disease worse. Avoiding alcohol. Alcohol can trigger or worsen the inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. Those wanting to live a healthy life with Crohn's disease can focus on their diet. Avoiding common triggers like dairy, caffeine, fat, and spicy food. Another focus point should be your water intake. Inflammation in your gut can make it harder for your digestive tract to absorb water, putting you at risk for dehydration. Excessive fiber intake can be hard to digest in excessive amounts and make flare-ups often worse. Prognosis. Crohn's is a progressive disease, meaning it can get worse over time. Excess inflammation can spread into the deeper layers of the intestinal lining and may lead to further complications. Hence why it's important to take action and work with your doctor. There isn't a cure for Crohn's disease, but treatments and lifestyle changes can keep the disease in remission and prevent complications.