SPANISH VERSION

Many people know very little of Crohns Disease, in fact besides health professionals, people with crohns and their relatives, very few people have ever even heard of the disease or about its effects on the body.  Crohnssite.com, Crohnspatients.com, Crohnslive.com and Crohnsstore.com are all dedicated to the education, support and treatment of Crohns disease.

Also called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis, Crohn's is a chronic and very serious disease that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and is evident in the transmural inflammation of the intestines (affects the entire wall of the bowel involved) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with other areas of normal lining in between). Primarily, Crohns Disease causes ulceration in the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It relates closely to ulcerative colitis which is another chronic inflammatory condition that only involves the colon.

Crohn's disease tends to be genetic and is more common in relatives, particularly siblings of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Although Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness, many people diagnosed with Crohn’s continue to lead active, productive lives. In fact, there are more than 2,000,000 Americans with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis combined.  Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and have no known medical cure. Individuals with IBD experience episodes between periods of inactivity (remission) and activity (flare ups).  They also have:

- Prolonged periods of diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Fever
- Rectal bleeding
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss

Men and women are equally affected by IBD. 

The cause and symptoms of Crohns Disease

The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are diarrhea, abdominal pain, often in the lower right area of the stomach. High fevers, rectal bleeding, arthritis, weight loss, arthritis and skin problems may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Similarities in the severity and frequency of symptoms are the most common factors amongst Crohns patients, although each condition typically differs in some way. Individuals may have symptoms for years prior to the actual diagnosis.  Usually, the onset is between 14 and 30 years of age, though there are many reported cases in older adults.   Due to the patchy nature of the gastrointestinal disease and the depth of tissue involvement, initial symptoms can be vaguer than with ulcerative colitis. Crohns symptoms may appear frequently or on rare occasion, be mild, or severe. For some people with severe symptoms, the disease can be debilitating and interfere with daily life. Other people may experience long bouts of remission in which they experience periods of no symptoms or very few symptoms.