Crohn’s Disease

HERBAl TREATMENT OF CROHN’S DISEASE

ABOUT CROHN’S DISEASE

Crohn’s disease is a chronic, or long-term condition that causes inflammation of your digestive tract. It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease which can be painful, debilitating, and, sometimes, life-threatening. It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.

Crohn’s disease most commonly occurs in the small intestine and the colon. It can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth all the way down to the anus. It can involve some parts of the GI tract and skip other parts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Crohn’s disease affects 26-199 people per 100,000. Although Crohn’s disease typically starts between the ages of 15 to 40, it can start at any age.

TYPE OF CROHN’S DISEASE

According to the location of affected gut, there are six variations of Crohn’s disease. They are:

1. Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease mainly affects your upper gut like stomach and the duodenum. Almost 5 percent of people are affected by this type of Crohn’s disease.
2. Jejunoileitis occurs in the second portion of your intestine, called the jejunum. Like gastroduodenal Crohn’s, this variation is less common.
3. Crohn’s colitis is found in the colon or large intestine. The main symptom tends to be diarrhoea, with blood and mucus. 20 percent of people are affected by this type of Crohn’s disease.
4. Ileitis is inflammation in the last part of the small intestine, or ileum. About 30 percent of people with Crohn’s disease are affected at this location.
5. Perianal disease can occur due to inflammation of other parts of body.Anus or back passage is the main affected area. About 30 percent of people found affected by by this type of Crohn’s disease.
6. Ileocolitis affects the ileum and the colon and is the most common variation of Crohn’s. Approximately 50 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have this variation.

CAUSES OF CROHN’S DISEASE

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unclear. However, the following factors may influence whether you get it:

• Genetic Factors
• The individual’s immune system
• Environmental factors
• A bacterium or virus may play a role. E. coli bacteria has been linked to Crohn’s
• disease, for instance.
• Smoking is another risk factor.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Crohn’s disease symptoms vary depending on which part of the gut is affected. Symptoms often include:

• Pain: Lower-Right Side Abdomen pain is the main symptoms. Although pain varies between individuals and depends on where the inflammation is in the gut.
• Ulcers in the gut: Ulcers are raw areas in the gut that may bleed. If they do bleed, the patient might notice blood in their stools.
• Mouth ulcers: Mouth sores and ulcers are a common symptom.
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea can from mild to severe. Sometimes there may be mucus, blood, or pus. The patient may get the urge to go but find nothing comes out.
• Fatigue: Individuals often feel extremely tired. Fever is also possible during fatigue.
• Low appetite
• Weight loss
• Anemia
• Drainage from a painful sore near your anus

COMPLICATIONS OF CROHN’S DISEASE

Crohn’s disease may lead to one or more of the following complications:

• Bowel obstruction
• Internal bleeding
• Colon cancer
• Anal fissure
• Stricture, where a part of the gut narrows, causing build up of scar tissue, and partial or complete blockage of the intestine
• Perforation, when a small hole develops in the wall of the gut, from which contents can leak, cause infections or abscesses
• Fistulas, when a channel forms between two parts of the gut
• A persistent iron deficiency.
• Food absorption problems.
• Slightly higher risk of developing bowel cancer.