What is Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's Disease was first discovered and named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn in 1932. It is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that affects the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn's Disease can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus but more commonly affects the small intestine and the colon. It is closely related to another chronic inflammatory condition called Ulcerative Colitis. Together the two make up what is more commonly known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They afflict approximately five hundred thousand to two million people in the United States.

Men and women are equally affected by Crohn's Disease and it generally begins in adolescence and early adulthood but can also begin in childhood and later in life. It has been shown that certain ethnic groups are more likely to develop the disease than others. Jews that are of European descent are nearly five times more likely than the general population to develop Crohn's Disease. It is also more common among the Caucasian population than it is among Asians and Africans.

What Causes Crohn's Disease?

Although it is not known what causes the disease it occurs more commonly in patients who have relatives with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, thus suggesting a genetic predisposition. Crohn's Disease is marked by an abnormal response in the immune system. Some scientists believe that the immune system mistakes the bacteria that are normally found in the gastrointestinal tract as foreign or invading substances and therefore initiates an attack. White blood cells are sent into the lining of the intestine where they produce a chronic inflammation leading to ulceration and bowel damage. When this occurs the patient experiences the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. It is known that Crohn's Disease is not contagious.

What are the Symptoms of Crohn's Disease?

Common symptoms of Crohn's Disease include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea (loose, watery, or frequent bowel movements), and weight loss. Less common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, rectal pain, rectal bleeding, and bowel obstruction. The symptoms of Crohn's Disease are generally dependent on the severity of the inflammation. Symptoms may range from mild to severe with periods of active disease, also known flare-ups, and periods of remission in which symptoms decrease or disappear.

Up to 30% of patients will also develop conditions that affect the anal area. These include:

-Ulcers and Fissures (tears): These cause pain and bleeding in the anus, especially during bowel movements.

-Fistulas: Anal fistulas are abnormal tunnels between the anus and the rectum. A fistula may also be defined as a tunnel that goes from one loop of intestine to another. Fistulas can attach the intestine to the bladder, vagina, or skin. When this occurs a patient may notice pus or drainage from the area.

-Abscesses: An abscess is a pocket of pus that is collected in the anal and rectal area. Abscesses will cause a patient to have fevers and experience pain and tenderness around the anus.

-Swelling: The muscle at the end of the colon that controls bowel movements is called the anal sphincter. Patients may experience swelling of the anal sphincter and thus have a problem with being able to control their bowel movements.

Crohn's Disease is not limited to the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect several other aspects of a person's well being. Patients may be subjected to joint problems, including arthritis and osteoporosis, skin and eye problems, and difficulty with liver function. 

There are many other complications that can happen with Crohn's Disease and with Ulcerative Colitis.  The symptoms listed here are only the most common symptoms that occur in most patients.