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What
is Crohn's disease?
Crohn's
disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation
of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract. Crohn's disease can affect any area of the
GI tract from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly
affects the lower part of the small intestine called ileum.
The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected
organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines
empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.
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Crohn's
disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, the general name for
the diseases that cause swelling in the intestines. Because
the symptoms of Crohn's disease are similar to other intestinal
disorders, such as irritable bowl syndrome and ulcerative colitis,
it can be difficult to diagnose.
Crohn's
disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some
families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn's disease have
a blood relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease.
Crohn's disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it
is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and
30.
What
are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain,
often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding,
weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur.
Bleeding maybe serious and persistent, leading to anemia.
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What
is the treatment for Crohn's disease?
Treatment
may include drugs, nutrition supplements, surgery, or
a combination of these options. The goals of treatment
are to control inflammation, correct nutritional deficiencies,
and
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relieve
symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding.
At this time, treatment can help control the disease by lowering
the number of times a person experiences a recurrence, but there
is no cure. The changing pattern of the disease means one cannot
always tell when a treatment has helped.
Someone
with Crohn's disease may need medical care for a long time,
with regular doctor visits to monitor the condition.
The
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) conducts and supports research into many kinds of digestive
disorders, including Crohn's disease. Several clinical trials
are currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of different
therapies for the treatment of Crohn's disease. For a complete
listing of trials being conducted, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Freedom
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Links
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10016-8804
1-800-932-2423 or 212-685-3440
E-mail: info@ccfa.org
Internet: www.ccfa.org
Reach
Out For Youth with Iieitis and Colitis, Inc.
84 Northgate Circle Melville, NY 11747
Phone: 631-293-3102
E-mail: reachoutforyouth@reachoutforyouth.org
Internet: www.reachoutforyouth.org
United
Ostomy Association, Inc.
19772 MacArthur Blvd. #200
Irvine, CA 92612-2405
Phone: 1-800-826-0826 or 949-660-8624
Fax: 949-660-9262
E-mail: uoa@deltanet.com
Internet: www.uoaa.org
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