It’s a disease that affects an estimated quarter of a million people worldwide and there is no known cure for it. Crohns disease is a disease of the digestive system that is a part of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.

Although Crohns disease attacks the entire digestive system in most cases it causes the most damage in the intestinal tract. Painful sores and ulcers line the length of the gut causing extreme discomfort whenever food is taken or digested.

Crohns disease is often found in the same family and seems to have a genetic component in determining who will be afflicted. Some common symptoms are pains in the abdominal area and diarrhea. Crohns disease can afflict at any age but most commonly it is first diagnosed in young adults.

The symptoms of Crohns disease can range from mild to severe and can go into remission where they seem to go away completely. Symptoms can appear quite suddenly in a short time or take years to develop.

While the disease is most active some common symptoms reported are diarrhea, painful abdominal ulcers, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Because of the pain and difficulty in digestion, the disease can lead to malnutrition and severe weight loss.

If you have been experiencing some or all of these symptoms for a longer time period than a few weeks you would be wise to consult with your doctor. Because there isn’t currently a definitive test that can identify Crohns disease it will only be diagnosed after all other possible causes such as diverticulitis and colon cancer have been ruled out. A colonoscopy may be ordered to survey the interior of the colon and to take small tissue samples for analysis in the lab.

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