Crohn’s disease usually starts at an earlier age, it can begin at any period of time. It can affect any region of the digestive system but most affected part is the last organs of the digestive system i.e., the small intestine and the colon.  Apart from gastro-intestinal system, it can also adversely affect the vital organs of the body like kidneys, liver, eyes, bones, etc., in severe condition.

It is a life term disease that is categorized under a group of diseases known as the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is characterized by the inflammation which occurs when useful bacteria, viruses or food particles in the gut region are considered foreign entities and an immune response is generated against them by body’s immune system. This immune response results in the inflammation of the digestive track.

Causes of Crohn’s disease  

It is not known exactly what causes Crohn’s disease. But there are a number of risk factors that exacerbate the situation and thereby, further result in increased inflammation. These risk factors are:

  1. Auto-immune response

This chronic condition is caused by an autoimmune response. It is not clear whether autoimmune response is the cause or the effect of the disease. Immune response is generated against harmless microbes, bacteria and virus, and food particles in the digestive track.

  1. Genetic factors

IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases) is usually genetic and pass from one lineage to another. Genetic mutations or variation of genes make people susceptible to the disease. According to an analysis made by CCFA (Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation), 20% of the patients have their parents or siblings diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. If both parents are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the risk of developing it increases in child.

  1. Environmental factors

Factors such as air pollution, breast feeding duration, dietary practices, smoking, exercise, bacterial and viral infections, stress, body weight, physical activities, etc., influence the outbreak of the Crohn’s disease.  Healthy practices reduce the risk of the onset of disease.

Diagnosis [i]

A single test cannot help diagnose the disease. Several tests are used to determine the severity of the disease which are blood tests to check for WBCs indicative of any infection or inflammation, stool test for any microbes, colonoscopy (internal examination of the large intestine), endoscopy, bioscopy, CT (computer tomography) scan to determine the severity of the inflammation, examination of the gastrointestinal tract, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, X-ray scan, etc.

Signs and symptoms[ii] of the disease

Symptoms usually vary from one individual to another. Pain in the abdominal region, loose motion, high temperature, reduction in overall body weight, feeling of exhaustion, frequent feeling of bowel movement, anorexia (food aversion), malnutrition as body cannot absorb nutrients effectively, blood in the stool (resulting in anemia), tearing of the lining of anus (anal fissures), constriction of the large intestine due to inflammation, bleeding in different regions of the track, etc., are the symptoms observed in patients with Crohn’s disease. In children it results in delayed growth of the body.

Symptoms other than intestine can appear causing disturbance of the overall bodily functions. Crohn’s disease cause pain or irritation in eyes, stones in the kidneys, dermatological problems, arthritis, weakening of the bones, weight reduction and liver complications in rare cases.

The symptoms do not appear all of a sudden but develop gradually and worsen over time. There are periods of remission (inactivity) when there are no symptoms alternated by periods with active symptoms. Some symptoms are similar to food poisoning which can mislead the initial diagnosis.

Management strategies for Crohn’s diseases

There is not any treatment possible for Crohn’s diseases but there are strategies that minimize the severe and frequent symptoms associated with the disease. The aim of the treatment is to induce and maintain remission time and treat any complications.

  1. Treatment with medicines

Medicines for diarrhea like loperamide and for inflammation like cortisone and corticosteroids are commonly used.

Biologic medicines are used for suppressing the immune response basically they are monoclonal antibodies to reduce inflammation by blocking specific proteins which are responsible for inflammation.

Certain antibiotics are prescribed to the patients having abscesses and anal fissures. They are also used to treat infections associated with the Crohn’s disease.

Immunomodulators are types of drugs that alter the response of the immune system against a threat. They either stimulate or suppress the immune system to minimize the progress of the disease.

The type of drugs or the treatment employed depends on the symptoms, complication of the disease, medical history of the patient and patient’s response to the treatment.

  1. Surgical treatment

Surgery is not the treatment option to cure Crohn’s disease. Rather, it is an option to ameliorate the complexity of the disease. When drugs fail to relieve the symptoms, surgery may become mandatory. About 75% of the patients will need surgery at some point in their life. Surgery is used to remove any blockages, perforations, ulcers, abscess, any damaged part of GIT, etc. sometimes, more than one surgery is performed in patient’s life.

  1. Natural treatment

Complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) treatment is often used alongwith the regular medications to lessen the impact of the disease. Natural options effective for Crohn’s disease are:

  • It is substantial to maintain a healthy balanced nutritious diet to meet energy needs of the body. A healthy diet can help to decrease the symptoms, replace the nutrients lost and augment the healing procedure. So, limiting fat and dairy products, drinking a lot of water, restricting food rich in fibre, no spicy foods and alocohol will help to manage Crohn’s disease.
  • Use of prebiotics and probiotics increase good bacteria in the GIT
  • Some essential oils like fish oil, peppermint oil help reduce inflammation
  • Certain herbs, minerals and vitamins help to overcome the effects of the disease

Preventive measures

A healthy way of living can ease the symptoms, increase the remission and reduce the complexity of the disease. Some points are:

  • Quitting smoking
  • Eating healthy diet
  • Regular exercise and yoga
  • Stress management

[i] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/crohns-disease/

 

[ii] https://www.healthline.com/health/endoscopy