All You Need To Know About The Lifelong Crohn’s Disease

Our digestive system is responsible for converting the food we consume into the energy needed to go about our day-to-day activities. But just like the rest of our body, the digestive system is also susceptible to a variety of health problems that can be detrimental, such as a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) known as Crohn’s disease.

As a chronic condition that can impact your digestive system significantly, if you’ve been suspected of developing this disease, here’s all you need to know to go about treating it.

What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong bowel disease that causes a patient’s digestive tract to be chronically inflamed, creating ulceration and complications in the body’s digestive ability. While Crohn’s disease commonly affects the small and large intestines, the inflammation can develop in all parts of the gut, from the mouth to the anus. The areas of inflammation are also said to be ‘patchy’ and not consistent within the gut.

Since there is currently no known cure for this disease, those diagnosed will continuously require treatment to alleviate the symptoms and manage the inflammation successfully.

Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease

• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Weight loss
• Fever and fatigue
• Sores and painful joints
• Loss of appetite
• Pain or redness in the eyes

While the above are common signs of Crohn’s disease, not all patients will experience all of them. Further, symptoms for Crohn’s disease are mainly dependent on where the inflammation is located and its severity.

Additional research also suggests that heightened stress can contribute to aggravated symptoms. As for its cause, medical experts are still yet to identify it. However, they have named several factors that could play a role in the disease’s development.

Possible causes of Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system starts to attack the healthy cells. Experts believe that the bacteria found within the digestive tract are the possible triggers of autoimmune reaction, which ultimately leads to inflammations.

Another factor that medical experts have pinpointed is genes. In some situations, Crohn’s disease can run in the family. Apart from that, other risk factors in the development of Crohn’s disease include smoking and consumption of NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other drugs such as antibiotics, aspirin, or birth control pills.

When is surgery needed?

Most patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease will eventually have to undergo surgery, so preparation is crucial. Although surgery is not an option to cure this lifelong disease, it provides long-term relief of the symptoms and reduces the reliance on medication. As such, it’s best to read up on Crohn’s disease treatment costs in Singapore, including the surgery fees.

Surgery will be crucial when medication becomes insufficient in relieving the intensified symptoms. Additionally, if Crohn’s disease is not managed appropriately, chronic inflammation of the large intestine can increase the risk of developing colon cancer. Hence, to avoid complications and save on costly colon cancer treatment costs in Singapore, it’s best to seek a professional early for an accurate diagnosis.

Conclusion

Treatment Crohn’s disease at a later stage can pose a higher financial cost to patients. With that, seeking professional help early is best to avoid Crohn’s disease and possible complications. Complications can include the risk of colon cancer, the narrowing of the inflamed intestine and an abnormal connection of the organs connected by the inflamed intestine.