Crohn's disease

Some people have a sick tummy.

This sickness is called Crohn's disease. It makes parts of the body inside hurt. It can make your belly feel big and tight.

You might feel very tired or get a fever. It can also cause itchy red spots on the skin. Some people might lose weight too. Doctors use medicine to help people feel better. It is a sickness that lasts a long time. People can live with it every day.

Crohn's disease is a sickness that causes swelling. This swelling happens in the gastrointestinal tract. That is the long path food takes through your body.

It can affect any part of this path. Most often, it hits the colon and the end of the small intestine. This swelling can cause belly pain and diarrhea. Some people also get fevers or lose weight.

Doctors do not know the exact cause. They think it comes from many things. It might be genes or the environment. It may also involve the immune system. The immune system is the body's way of fighting germs. In this disease, it may attack the gut by mistake.

There is no cure for it yet. Doctors use medicine to help the swelling go away. This is called remission. Some people may need surgery to fix problems. Smoking can make the disease worse. It is important to stop smoking to stay healthy.

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. This means it causes swelling in the gastrointestinal tract. This tract is the long path food takes through your body.

It can affect any part of this path. Most often, it hits the colon and the end of the small intestine. Many people feel symptoms for years before they get a diagnosis. Common signs include belly pain, fever, and diarrhea. Some people also experience weight loss or skin rashes.

Scientists are still learning how this disease works. It is believed to be caused by several things working together. These include your environment, your immune system, and bacteria. About half of the risk comes from your genes. In fact, more than 70 genes may be involved.

The immune system is meant to defend your body. In Crohn's disease, it may target tiny microbes in the gut. This creates a state of chronic inflammation. This is a long-lasting swelling that does not go away easily.

In 1932, doctors first described this illness. Burrill Bernard Crohn was a gastroenterologist who studied it. He worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He worked alongside Leon Ginzburg and Gordon D. Oppenheimer.

They noticed swelling in the terminal ileum. This is the very end of the small intestine. There is still a debate about the name. Ginzburg provided evidence that he and Oppenheimer were the first to study it. This makes the naming of the disease a controversial topic.

Crohn's disease affects different amounts of people in different places. It affects about 3.2 per 1,000 people in Europe and North America. It is less common in Africa and Asia. Since the 1970s, rates have been rising in the developing world.

The disease often starts in adolescence or young adulthood. It can also happen at any other age. Males and females are affected about the same amount. One in five people with the disease enters a hospital each year. Half of those people will need surgery within ten years.

There is no known cure for Crohn's disease yet. Doctors use medicine to help manage the symptoms. They want to reach remission, which is a time when the disease is quiet. Some people use corticosteroids to feel better quickly. Others use medicines like methotrexate or thiopurine.

Smoking is a big factor for many people. People who smoke are three times more likely to develop the disease. Stopping smoking is a very important part of staying healthy. Doctors also suggest regular check-ups to stay safe.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes long-lasting swelling throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon.

While it can appear anywhere, it most commonly affects the colon and the terminal ileum. The terminal ileum is the very last part of the small intestine. This condition is serious because it can lead to many different health problems. It often follows a pattern of flare-ups and remission. Remission is a period when the disease is quiet and symptoms are low.

The exact cause of Crohn's disease remains unknown to scientists. It is believed to result from a mix of environmental, immune, and bacterial factors. These factors act on people who are already genetically susceptible. About half of the overall risk is linked to genetics. Researchers have identified more than 70 genes that may be involved.

The immune system is meant to protect the gastrointestinal tract. In this disease, the immune system may mistakenly target microbial antigens. These are tiny parts of microbes that trigger an immune response. This creates a state of chronic inflammation. This is not considered an autoimmune disease because the immune system is not triggered by the body itself.

Symptoms of Crohn's disease can vary widely depending on where the inflammation occurs. Many people experience abdominal pain, especially in the lower right abdomen. Common signs include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal distension, which is swelling of the belly.

If the inflammation is in the ileum, it often causes large-volume, watery feces. If it is in the colon, it may cause more frequent, smaller bowel movements. In severe cases, a person might have over 20 bowel movements in a single day. Some people also develop perianal issues. These include pain or itchiness around the anus, or complications like abscesses and fistulae.

Crohn's disease can also cause symptoms far away from the digestive tract. This is known as extraintestinal involvement. For example, inflammation can affect the eyes, causing a condition called uveitis. Uveitis is swelling in the interior of the eye that causes pain and blurred vision.

The disease can also affect the skin, causing rashes like erythema nodosum. It can even impact the liver and gallbladder. Inflammation in the ileum can lead to gallstones because it changes how the body absorbs bile acids. In the kidneys, the disease can cause stones made of calcium oxalate or uric acid. These stones can cause severe pain in the back or abdomen.

In 1932, doctors first described these symptoms at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Burrill Bernard Crohn, a gastroenterologist, led the study. He worked with Leon Ginzburg and Gordon D. Oppenheimer.

They observed inflammation in the terminal ileum of several patients. However, there is a controversy regarding the name of the disease. While Crohn wrote about his investigation in his memoirs, Ginzburg provided evidence that he and Oppenheimer were the first to study it.

Managing Crohn's disease is a major part of a patient's life. There is currently no known cure for the disease. Doctors use treatments to manage symptoms and prevent relapses. For new diagnoses, a corticosteroid might be used for a short time to improve symptoms quickly. Other medications, such as methotrexate or thiopurine, can help prevent the disease from returning.

Smoking is a significant risk factor. Tobacco smokers are three times more likely to develop the disease than non-smokers. Because of this, doctors strongly recommend that patients stop smoking.

Crohn's disease has a significant impact on public health. It affects about 3.2 per 1,000 people in Europe and North America. It is less common in Africa and Asia, but rates in the developing world have been increasing since the 1970s. The disease often starts during adolescence or young adulthood. One in five people with the disease is admitted to a hospital every year. Additionally, about half of all patients will require surgery at some point during a ten-year period. Surgery is often needed to treat abscesses, bowel obstructions, or cancers. Because of the increased risk of cancer, doctors recommend colonoscopies every one to three years, starting eight years after diagnosis.