The Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of two disease under the category “IBD”, or Irritable Bowel Disease, the other being Ulcerative Colitis. Crohn’s is named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who, along with Dr. Leon Ginzburg and Dr. Gordon D. Oppenheimer, described the disease back in 1932. Crohn’s commonly affects the ileum and the beginning of the colon, but it can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Crohn’s can affect the entire bowel wall, while it can also “skip” over patches of the diseased intestine, leaving some unaffected parts of the area. In a healthy gastrointestinal tract, there are many harmless bacteria, which aid in digestion. The immune system will attack and kill any foreign invaders. In Crohn’s patients, the normal bacteria are mistaken for invaders, and the immune system responds. Cells will travel out of the blood and to the intestines, in turn producing inflammation, the normal response. The inflammation does not go down, which leads to chronic inflammation, ulceration, and a thickening of the intestinal wall. These lead to the patient’s symptoms.

Crohn’s disease affects as many as 700,000 Americans. The disease can occur at any age, though it is more commonly developed between the ages of 15 and 35. The condition tends to be genetic. Crohn’s is most common among people with Eastern European background, especially Jews of European descent (Ashkenazi Jews). Recently, an increasing number of African Americans have reported cases of Crohn’s Disease. Those in developed countries are more likely to have Crohn’s. People who have a first-degree relative, such as a parent, child, or sibling with Crohn’s have a greater risk ...

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