In the last Crohn's Disease article I listed out some of the topics I was going to cover in my e-mails.
In this article I am going to give a simple explanation of what Crohn's Disease is:
- Crohn's Disease is a chronic condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract (GI)
- It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with no known cause
- The disease often causes pain, but can be treated
- Crohn's generally manifests during people aged between 15 and 30
- Other age groups can also develop the disease
- It affects men and women equally
Crohn's Disease was named in 1932 by Dr. Burrill B. Crohn and his colleagues. However, the disease was first studies by 18th century Italian researcher Giovanni Battista Morgagni.
Inflammatory bowel disease results in inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. While researchers are working to unravel the exact cause for the condition, current thinking is that it is an autoimmune response. The immune system overreacts and actually attacks the body!
With Crohn's Disease, every part of the intestines can be affected; however, the most common areas are the small and the upper part of the large intestine. Ulcers can develop anywhere inside the intestines and cause damage to neighboring organs. If left untreated and unmanaged, Crohn's Disease can cause severe damage to the body.
Crohn's Disease comes and goes in waves. A person may be symptom free for years only to suffer a sudden and unexpected flare-up.
Fortunately, Crohn's Disease can be treated and the millions of people living with the disease can lead normal lives.
In the next article I will cover the causes associated with Crohn's Disease.
In this article I am going to give a simple explanation of what Crohn's Disease is:
- Crohn's Disease is a chronic condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract (GI)
- It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with no known cause
- The disease often causes pain, but can be treated
- Crohn's generally manifests during people aged between 15 and 30
- Other age groups can also develop the disease
- It affects men and women equally
Crohn's Disease was named in 1932 by Dr. Burrill B. Crohn and his colleagues. However, the disease was first studies by 18th century Italian researcher Giovanni Battista Morgagni.
Inflammatory bowel disease results in inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. While researchers are working to unravel the exact cause for the condition, current thinking is that it is an autoimmune response. The immune system overreacts and actually attacks the body!
With Crohn's Disease, every part of the intestines can be affected; however, the most common areas are the small and the upper part of the large intestine. Ulcers can develop anywhere inside the intestines and cause damage to neighboring organs. If left untreated and unmanaged, Crohn's Disease can cause severe damage to the body.
Crohn's Disease comes and goes in waves. A person may be symptom free for years only to suffer a sudden and unexpected flare-up.
Fortunately, Crohn's Disease can be treated and the millions of people living with the disease can lead normal lives.
In the next article I will cover the causes associated with Crohn's Disease.
