December - Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Month

December is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness month.  Crohn’s disease is a chronic long- term disease that causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (GI).  It can affect any part of the GI tract from mouth to anus. Crohn’s is a progressive disease, meaning it can get worse over time. Excess inflammation can spread into deeper layers of the intestinal lining and may lead to further complications. Crohn’s belongs to a larger group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel disease of IBD. 

Common symptoms include: 

• Abdominal Pain
• Fatigue
• Bowel Urgency
• Persistent Diarrhea
• Weight Loss

Crohn’s disease can sometimes cause life threatening complications. Treatment consists of anti- inflammatory medication.  Crohn’s disease cannot be cured, but medications such as steroids and immunosuppressive are used to slow the progression of the disease.  If these aren’t effective, a patient may require surgery to improve or remove affected parts of the GI tract. Although the exact causes of Chron’s disease are not known, a few contributing factors have been identified, including a person’s immune system, and gastric and environmental factors.  20% of people living with Crohn’s have a family member with the disease. Be sure to talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of all available treatments and what treatment option may be right for you.

Reference. www.fda gov/medwatch, Crohnstreatment.com