Crohn's Disease

More than 500,000 Americans suffer from Crohn's disease. Find out more about what you can do to avoid becoming another victim.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which can affect any tissue along the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the rectum. However, it is more common to find it occurring in the last section of the small intestines called the ileum.

Characteristics of Crohn’s disease include the thickening of the intestinal walls which would ultimately cause a narrowing of the intestinal channel.

Another characteristic of Crohn’s disease is that the inflammation may not be continuous. In other words, there is a skip pattern resulting in certain sections of the intestinal walls of the ileum unaffected.

Unlike other inflammatory bowel disease such as Ulcerative colitis all the layers of the intestinal walls are affected rather than just the inner lining. In some instances, adjacent organs may also be affected through the formation of fistulas.

Causes of Crohn’s disease

Like most gastrointestinal diseases, there is no conclusive evidence to determine what causes Crohn’s disease. Just like Diverticulitis, a diverticular disease, there is some indication that the disease could be very much diet related. In countries where there is significantly less consumption of processed food, there seem to be very much less incidences of Crohn’s disease.

However, in America, where consumption of processed food is the norm, the incidence of Crohn’s disease is ever increasing. Some studies have indicated that Crohn’s disease may be the result of the following factors:

1. Low fiber diets

2. Fast foods

3. Cigarette smoking

4. High consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates

5. High consumption of animal proten

6. Low consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids normally found in fish oil

7. Over consumption of antibiotics

8. Over consumption of wheat and dairy products leading to food allergy.

Crohn’s disease is also considered to be an autoimmune disease. What it means is that the body’s immune system overreacts and attacks its own cells and tissues as though these cells are foreign agents such as bacteria and viruses. It is highly likely that a person suffering from leaky gut syndrome could very well develop Crohn’s disease as well.

Leaky gut syndrome is the name given to the condition where the small intestines become so porous that it allows undigested food to pass into the bloodstream. Food allergies then develops as the body considers these undigested food particles as foreign agents.

Crohn’s disease symptoms

Crohn’s disease is chraracterized by inflammatory lesions throughout the entire thickness of the intestinal walls of those affected sections. As a result, the following are the common symptoms of Crohn’s disease:

1. Abnormal weight loss

2. Abdominal plain on the right side

3. Diarrhea with or without bloody stools and mucus

4. Nausea with vomiting

5. Loss of appetite

6. Flatulence

7. Fever

Crohn's disease diagnosis

Crohn's disease symptoms and ulcerative colitis are similar especially in the early stages. Therefore accurate diagnosis may be difficult in the early stages of the disease. However, a colonoscopy will provide a pretty accurate diagnosis since Crohn's disease will offer telltale signs of patches of inflamed tissues with a cobblestone appearance.

Crohn’s disease treatment

Treatment of Crohn’s disease depends on the severity, how advanced is the disease and which part of the body is affected. However, the general treatment options would include the following:

1. Relieving the symptoms of the disease

2. Controlling the inflammation present

3. Controlling infection, if any

4. Make changes to patient’s diet Usually, drugs are used to treat Crohn’s disease.

Theses include the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics such a Cipro to control the infection. Cortocosteroids such a prednisone is used to treat the inflammation.

Crohn’s disease diet

The diet for Crohn’s disease especially for those who have undergone surgery is to follow a liquid or soft food diet. Bananas, rice, potatoes, herbal broth and steamed vegetables are good choices. People suffering from inflammatory bowel disease should avoid eating raw vegetables, raw fruits, including seeds and nuts because they are difficult to digest.

It is important also to stay away from deep fried foods, eggs and dairy products such as mayonnaise, butter and margarine.

Caffeine should also be avoided as tends to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. Avoid carbonated drinks and beer since they create gas.

Other gas-producing food include beans, onions, garlic, leeks, cabbages and cauliflowers.

As far as possible, stay away from red meat as they are difficult to digest. Crohn’s disease can be avoided if we take care of what we eat. Over-indulgence in processed food may be the biggest culprit causing between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Americans untold sufferings!

People diagnosed with Crohn's disease should not go for colon cleansing procedures such as Colonic Irrigation or hydrotherapy as these procedures could lead to serious medical complications.