Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic gastrointestinal inflammation. Living with a chronic illness can be exhausting and stressful. As a result, managing your Crohn’s disease’s physical and emotional symptoms is vital to improving your quality of life.

Who is impacted by Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease can affect both men and women equally and can strike at any age. However, it is most commonly diagnosed in adolescents and adults between the ages of 20 and 30. According to studies, between 1.5% and 28% of people with inflammatory bowel disease have a first-degree relative like a parent, child, or sibling, who also has one of the diseases.

While a genetic component is associated with an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease, family history cannot predict who will develop Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease can affect people of all ethnicities but is more common in Caucasians. Yet, rates of Crohn’s disease have increased in recent years among Asians.

Crohn’s disease types

Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, but the end of the small bowel (ileum) and the beginning of the colon are the most commonly affected. In addition, it can have an impact on the entire thickness of the bowel wall. Furthermore, the intestinal inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease can skip or leave normal areas in between patches of diseased intestine.

If you have Crohn’s disease, you should know which part of your gastrointestinal tract is affected. While Crohn’s disease symptoms vary from person to person, the type of Crohn’s disease you have influences your symptoms and complications.

Ileocolitis

This is the most common form of Crohn’s disease and affects the end of the terminal ileum or small intestine and the colon or large intestine.

Possible symptoms include:

· Cramps and diarrhoea

· Pain in the lower right or middle of the abdomen

· Significant weight loss

Ileitis

This type of Crohn’s disease only affects the ileum.

Possible symptoms are the same as ileocolitis and complications in severe cases that may include fistulas or an inflammatory abscess in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.

Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease

This type of Crohn’s disease affects the stomach and the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

Possible symptoms include:

· Nausea

· Vomiting

· Appetite loss

· Weight loss

Jejunoileitis

This type of Crohn’s disease is distinguished by patchy areas of inflammation in the jejunum, the upper half of the small intestine.

Possible symptoms include:

· Mild to severe abdominal pain and cramps after meals

· Diarrhoea

· In severe cases or after prolonged periods of inflammation, fistulas can form.

Crohn’s disease (granulomatous colitis)

Only the colon, also known as the large intestine, is affected by this type of Crohn’s disease.

· Possible symptoms include:

· Diarrhoea

· Bleeding in the rectum

· Abscesses, fistulas, and ulcers around the anus

· Skin lesions and joint pains are more common in this type of Crohn’s disease than others.

Complications of Crohn’s disease

While Crohn’s disease is limited to the gastrointestinal tract, it can impact your overall health and lead to more serious medical problems. This could include:

· Loss of appetite

· Weight loss

· Fatigue and a lack of energy

· Delayed growth and development in children

Crohn’s disease can cause serious complications in severe cases, including:

· Fissures (tears in the anus lining) that can cause pain and bleeding, particularly during bowel movements.

· A fistula or abnormal channel formed by inflammation between one part of the intestine and another, or between the intestine and the bladder, vagina, or skin. Fistulas in the anal area are the most common and require immediate medical attention.

· A stricture or intestinal narrowing caused by chronic inflammation.

Crohn’s disease trials

If your doctor has diagnosed you with Crohn’s disease, you could be eligible to participate in a clinical trial. If your clinical trial application is successful, you could help us better understand this condition. All Crohn’s disease studies are carefully designed to safeguard the participant’s health. In

addition, all our studies are approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and an independent ethics committee before implementation. Learn more