Crohn s Disease And Disease - 3608 Words

CROHN’S DISEASE Crohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (â€Å"GI†) tract that can occur anywhere along the alimentary canal from the mouth to the anus. It is the second most common form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (â€Å"IBD†) after Ulcerative Colitis and can be hard to distinguish from it due to the overlapping signs and symptoms. They are not, however, the same. With Crohn’s Disease the inflammation most often occurs in the small intestine at the end of the ileum and continues into the beginning of the colon, but inflammation may be found in multiple places along the digestive tract at the same time with normal, unaffected areas in between the distended areas. Furthermore, the disease will spread through every†¦show more content†¦However, it is possible for patients to present with all three symptoms making it more difficult to be precise. The two most common types of fistula are the Perianal which goes from the rectum to the skin around the anus; and the Enterocutaneous which goes from the small bowel to the abdominal wall. Other common forms of fistula are the Retrovaginal which goes from the rectum to the vagina, Colovesical which goes from the large bowel to the bladder, and the Enteroenteric which is bowel to bowel. The symptoms of Crohn’s Disease can range from mild to very severe depending on the area of the gastrointestinal tract involved. When a patient’s disease is active, as opposed to being in remission, the most common signs and symptoms of GI inflammation related to Crohn’s Disease are: persistent diarrhea; rectal bleeding; abdominal cramps and pain, which can vary in intensity and may lead to vomiting; an urgent need to move the bowels; the sensation of incomplete evacuation; constipation, which can lead to bowel obstruction; blood in the stool; and mouth sores. Other general symptoms of IBD that can also be associated with Ulcerative Colitis as well as many other diseases, are: fever; loss of appetite; weight loss; night sweats; signs of malnutrition from the digestive tract not being able to properly absorb needed nutrients; anemia; and feeling tired. In addition, while not very common in children under the age of 10, the lack of