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Home | Disease & Illness | Skin Cancer Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease and may also be known as ileitis or enteritis. It is a chronic condition that leads to inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the real challenges with Crohn's disease is that it can affect any area of the gastrointestinal or G.I. tract, from the mouth to the anus. However, most commonly Crohn's affects the Ilium, or the lower portion of the small intestine. The inflammation and edema associated with Crohn's disease runs deep into the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. With the inflammation and edema running so deep, it is easy to understand that this is where the pain associated with Crohn's disease comes from. The diarrhea commonly associated with Crohn's disease is also a result of this deep tissue inflammation. The swelling of the G.I. tract also causes it to frequently empty the contents of the bowel resulting in pain and diarrhea. When you first present to your health care provider describing your abdominal symptoms, it may be initially difficult to get a definitive diagnosis of Crohn's disease. This is because Crohn's disease so often mimics other intestinal diseases such as IBS or irritable bowel syndrome and even ulcerative colitis. Two things which can help your health care provider to determine whether you have Crohn's disease or a less invasive bowel condition are the facts that Crohn's disease has the potential to invade every layer of the intestinal tract while this is not true with other conditions and Crohn's disease also can present itself with areas of healthy bowel tissue in between areas of horrifically diseased bowel tissue. It seems that Crohn's disease attacks both men and women equally and it does seem that there are some familial tendencies. In many cases it does tend to run in families. Recent research seems to indicate that almost 20% of those patients currently suffering with Crohn's disease also have a blood relative who are battling some form of inflammatory bowel disease of one type or the other. Most often this blood relative is a brother or sister and in some cases it may even be a parent or a child. Crohn's disease is most often diagnosed in patients between the ages of 20 and 30. African-Americans appear currently to be at decreased risk for the development of Crohn's disease while those of Jewish descent seem to have an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease must be aggressively managed in an effort to regain control of your life. It is not something you can choose to manage one day and then ignore it the next day. Working closely with your gastroenterologist is of vital importance for you to regain some semblance of control in your health life. It's no surprise that Crohn's disease can certainly begin to control your life. With the pain and explosive diarrhea which often accompany this condition, Crohn's disease can definitely begin to dictate your daily activities. You simply must make a decision to manage it as best as possible to yourself. Working closely with your physician can allow you to retain control of your bowel condition and your activities of daily living. After all, who wants to go out on the town and worry every minute if you are going to need to run off to the bathroom! While it may be a challenge for you to learn to manage your Crohn's disease, it is certainly worth the effort. Often times the abdominal cramping and diarrhea can seem as if they are taking control of every minute of your day. Step up to the challenge and work with your doctor until you get the management of your Crohn's disease symptoms right! What is Crohn's disease? It is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that deserves your full attention as well as the aggressive treatment and management by your health care team. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
For more important information on stomach pain visit a-stomach-pain.com There's information on stomach pain causes such as Crohn's disease and other articles at www.a-stomach-pain.com
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