Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness

Crohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract and is grouped under the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Although it can affect any part of the GI tract, Crohn’s most commonly appears in the lower bowl and the beginning of the colon. It can also affect the entire thickness of the intestinal wall. While the disease affects men and women equally and can occur at any age, it is most prevalent in young adults aged 15–35.

Another IBD that is often mistaken for Crohn’s Disease is colitis, which has similar symptoms, but affects only innermost lining of the colon.

There are many suffering from IBD in the United States alone — the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA) estimates some 780,000 are living with IBD. But because so little is known about the causes of these diseases, there is still a long way to go in finding adequate treatments and even a cure.

The main symptoms of Crohn’s Disease are:

• Persistent Diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding
• Urgent need to move bowels
• Abdominal cramps and pain
• Sensation of incomplete evacuation
• Constipation (can lead to bowel obstruction)

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk to your doctor, as IBD can be diagnosed through a series blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, or colonoscopy. In diagnosing an IBD, doctors determine type of disease — most commonly Crohn’s or colitis — along with the severity in order to move forward with the best course of action for treatment.

Treatments for IBD include a range of drugs, and in some cases surgery. As there is no cure for Crohn’s or colitis, the goal of these treatments is to ease suffering caused by inflammation. According to the Mayo Clinic, these treatments can include anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, and steroids. Surgery may also be an option for Crohn’s patients, to remove damaged sections of the intestine, or fix fistulas and drain abscesses. The results of these surgeries are often temporary however.

Those suffering from IBD may also implement certain self-care measures and dietary adjustments to help ease the discomfort, like low fiber or residue diets to ease stress on the colon and stool. Crohn’s and colitis can also have a severe impact on nutrition, as symptoms like diarrhea increase dehydration and don’t allow for proper digestion of crucial nutrients. Because of this it’s important to talk with your doctor about supplementing your diet with the proper nutrients, which can come in a range of methods from taking natural supplements, to receiving certain nutrients intravenously, in more serious cases.

What’s most important to remember for those suffering from Crohn’s or colitis, is that you are not alone. This is why the CCFA has implemented December 1–7 as Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week, encouraging people to become #IBDvisible, and share their stories.