Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system treats the lining of the digestive tract as though it were a foreign invader and attacks it causing inflammation, ulcers, bleeding and scar tissue formation. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract though the very end of the small intestine (terminal ileum) and colon are most commonly involved. While the cause of Crohn’s is not known, there are certain genes that can cause a predisposition to getting the condition. Symptoms of Crohn’s include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and anal pain. Mouth sores, certain rashes and certain types of arthritis and inflammatory conditions of the eye are also associated with Crohn’s. Management of this condition involves blood work and stool tests to track the degree of inflammation, imaging with MRI/CT scans as well as endoscopic evaluations with colonoscopy to see firsthand how severe the inflammation is both macroscopically and microscopically. We treat Crohn’s with lifestyle modifications (smoking cessation, avoiding certain types of medications and foods), medications that influence the inflammatory response in the GI tract, and at times surgery. With steady follow up and cooperation between the patient and the medical team, Crohn’s in most can be managed with a good degree of success.