Common unpleasant symptoms after eating too much of the wrong thing happen to just about anyone.
Cramping, nausea, abdominal pain or gas typically don’t last long, but if you have Crohn’s disease, this discomfort may last longer than you’d like. For some people with this disease, symptoms can be a 24/7 occurrence.
Read on for everything you need to know about Crohn’s disease.
What Is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
“In Crohn’s disease, the immune system is hyperactive and — instead of doing its usual job, like fighting infections and healing injuries — is causing inflammation and damage in the intestines,” explains Dr. Adeeti Chiplunker, a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine and medical director of nutrition services with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
Crohn’s disease is often grouped with another condition called ulcerative colitis under the IBD umbrella. While Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract — from the mouth all the way down to the rectum or the anus — it usually shows up in the small intestine, notes Dr. Miguel Regueiro, chief of the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. With ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, inflammation is confined to the large intestine and rectum.
[Read: Foods for Ulcerative Colitis.]
What Causes Crohn’s Disease?
Health care professionals aren’t sure what exactly causes Crohn’s disease, but research suggests there is a complex interplay among:
— Genetic factors.
— Immune system abnormalities.
— Environmental factors, such as tobacco smoke exposure, significant antibiotic exposure in childhood and diets high in processed foods.
[READ: 10 Reasons Your Stomach May Be Hurting.]
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?
Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease include:
— Diarrhea.
— Abdominal pain and cramping.
— Fever.
— Fatigue.
— Bloody stools.
— Reduced appetite.
— Unintended weight loss.
— Sores or lesions in the mouth.
— Pain and inflammation around the anus.
— Inflammation of the skin, eyes, joints, liver or bile ducts.
— In children, delayed growth or sexual development.
The severity of the symptoms can differ from person to person. Some women, for instance, may notice that symptoms increase around the time of their menstrual cycle or may initially mistake symptoms, like abdominal pain, as being menstrual period-related.
Stress can also exacerbate the symptoms of the disease, adds Dr. Niket Sonpal, a gastroenterologist and adjunct assistant professor of clinical medicine at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Harlem in New York City.
If you’ve had diarrhea or abdominal pain lasting longer than a week, fevers or blood in the stool, you need to get checked out as soon as possible.
What Are the Risk Factors for Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease can be diagnosed in anyone at any age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 3.1 million adults in America — about 1.3% of adults — have been diagnosed with IBD (either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis).
Studies vary in their estimation of the number of people in the U.S. with Crohn’s, but it’s likely anywhere from 700,000 to 1.5 million, according to Sonpal.
Risk factors that can elevate your chances of developing Crohn’s disease include:
— Age.Most people are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease around the time they’re 30 years old.
— Sex.Both women and men can be affected by the disease, but research suggests women are more susceptible, Sonpal says.
— Ethnicity.People of all ethnicities can be affected by Crohn’s disease, but it occurs more often in white populations, followed closely by African American populations, Sonpal notes.
— Family history.If your parent, sibling or child has Crohn’s disease, you’re more likely to develop it too.
— Cigarette smoking.Smoking has been associated with the development of Crohn’s disease and is the most easily controlled risk factor.
— Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication use.Although medications that include over-the-counter pain medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — don’t directly cause Crohn’s disease, they can lead to inflammation of the bowel, which can exacerbate a case of Crohn’s.
— Geography.People living in urban or industrialized nations are more likely to develop Crohn’s, suggesting that environmental or dietary factors may be boosting incidence.
People with Crohn’s disease and colitis are also more likely to have other chronic health conditions, including:
— Respiratory disease.
— Cancer.
— Arthritis.
— Liver disease.
How Is Crohn’s Disease Diagnosed?
Diagnosing Crohn’s disease isn’t always easy because other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, can cause similar symptoms. Most patients with Crohn’s begin by seeking help from a primary care providerand may be referred for additional testing and treatment by a gastroenterologist.
To pinpoint the issue, your provider may turn to a variety of tests, including:
— Imaging texts. X-rays, CT scans and MRIs can help your doctor see narrowing or scarring in the intestines, intestinal blockages, abscesses (pus-filled infected areas) or fistulas (abnormal passageways between the bowel and other structures like the small intestine, colon, bladder, skin and perineal areas).
— Endoscopy or colonoscopy.This procedure involves inserting a flexible tube with a camera in it into the gastrointestinal tract to identify problem spots that need further examination or treatment. Your doctor may take a biopsy of tissue to test further as part of this process.
— Routine blood tests. Some signs of Crohn’s — such as infection, anemia and C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker — may show up in routine blood tests. Liver function tests and an electrolyte panel may also be used.
— Antibody blood tests. These specialized blood tests can help your doctor distinguish between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
How Is Crohn’s Disease Treated?
There currently is no cure for Crohn’s, but several medications can help.
Medications used to treat Crohn’s disease typically fall into one of the following categories:
— Anti-inflammatory drugs.Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, can reduce inflammation in the body. These are powerful medications that can work quickly but aren’t usually the best option for long-term control of the disease.
— Immunosuppressants and immunomodulators.These medications suppress the immune system’s overactive response and may include azathioprine, methotrexate and biologics, such as adalimumab (Humira) and ustekinumab (Stelara).
— Antibiotics.Some antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and metronidazole (Flagyl), can help treat complications like fistulas and abscesses.
— Anti-diarrheal medications.Your doctor may recommend that you take an over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication, such as loperamide (Imodium A-D), to quell excessive diarrhea.
— Fiber supplements. Some patients also find that by adding a fiber supplement, such as psyllium powder (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel), their stool gets bulkier and they have less diarrhea.
— Over-the-counter pain relievers.Widely available OTC medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) may help relieve pain. However, your doctor will likely warn you away from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers because, as mentioned above, these drugs can sometimes make symptoms worse.
— Vitamin and mineral shots and supplements.Many people with Crohn’s are deficient in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D, because the gut can’t absorb these nutrients the way it should. Your doctor may want to boost your intake of these essential nutrients with a shot or daily pill. Many people also have anemia because of intestinal bleeding, so your doctor may prescribe an iron supplement.>
“The majority of patients will need to be on some form of medication for the rest of their life,” Chiplunker notes. “These types of medications help to tone down the hyperactivity of the immune system so that it can focus on its actual job of healing injuries and fighting infections instead of attacking the body.”
What’s the Best Diet for Crohn’s Disease?
Some doctors think that diet plays a role in the development of Crohn’s, so your health care provider may include an eating regimen as part of your treatment protocol.
For instance, the specific carbohydrate diet, which restricts grains, sucrose and lactose, “is known to improve symptoms and reduce relapse of disease symptoms,” says Dr. Kaunteya Reddy, a gastroenterologist and medical director of gastroenterology at Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands, California.
Easy-to-digest foods — such as rice, potatoes and oatmeal — may also help soothe an inflamed gut. A low-fiber diet and diets rich in fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish and probiotics may be good options for people with Crohn’s disease as well.
Your doctor may recommend avoiding:
— Fats, such as butter, mayonnaise and oils.
— Carbonated beverages.
— Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or tea.
— Chocolate.
— Dairy products.
— Fried or fatty foods.
— High-fiber foods.
— High-fat animal proteins, such as beef.
The Bottom Line
Crohn’s disease can be challenging and stressful.
“Crohn’s disease is, unfortunately, a chronic illness that needs regular, routine follow-up and care with a gastroenterologist,” Reddy says.
What works for one person with Crohn’s might not work for you, so you’ll have to work with your healthcare team to find the best way to manage your condition.
“Being an active participant in your care is the key to success,” Chiplunker adds. “You may have Crohn’s, but Crohn’s does not have you.”
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A Patient’s Guide to Crohn?s Disease originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/23/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
