Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. In the Netherlands, approximately 1,000 people are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease every year. The disease is more common in women than in men. These are usually young people between 15 and 25 years old. The course of the disease is different for everyone. Some are very bothered by it, and some hardly notice it.
Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestines. Unfortunately, the cause of this disease is not yet known. You often see that if it occurs, it occurs more often in the same family. The disease can occur at any age, so it’s not like you’re right at birth. But often the first symptoms appear between the ages of 15 and 30.
With Crohn’s disease you mainly suffer from your intestines. Small inflammations occur in the intestinal wall, these are also called ulcers. The inflammation in the intestines is caused by an error in the immune system. In Crohn’s disease, the immune system attacks the body’s own cells for no reason, which in this case is the intestines. The intestinal wall is not contiguously inflamed, but diseased and healthy parts of the intestine alternate.
The inflammation in the intestines often causes many complaints, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and fever. Anemia can occur in only 2% of patients due to intestinal bleeding. The disease can affect the entire digestive system, from the stomach to the large intestine. But it most often occurs at the end of the small intestine, or the beginning of the large intestine.
Treatment methods
There are different treatment methods. Most people with Crohn’s disease will need surgery sooner or later. This operation removes the bad part of the intestine. This does not mean that you will never have problems with your intestines again, but it will stay away for a while. Crohn’s disease is therefore also a chronic disease, because it keeps coming back. In some people, the pain persists for up to 10 years after this operation, but then the symptoms they previously had return. And in some people it can come back quickly, after a few months or a year. Furthermore, Crohn’s disease is treated with medications. The medicines should ensure that you are less affected by the disease. Prednisone is often prescribed, this is a medication that is prescribed for many infections.
Many people with Crohn’s disease follow a diet. If you pay close attention to your food and stick to the diet, you will be less affected by the disease. Because poor nutrition will upset your intestines even more.