by Marie J Kelley

Created on: April 02, 2008   Last Updated: May 13, 2008

Chron's disease is an autoimmune, inflammatory bowel disease that directly affects the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. The digestive tract becomes severely inflamed and lesions can appear throughout the lining. Chron's disease is caused by an abnormal response to the body's own immune defense but the exact reason this abnormal response happens is unknown. Some doctors believe it's due to bacteria while others believe it's due to foreign substance that has entered the body through the environment. The body zeros in on these offenders and begins using the immune system to attack, but instead of fighting off the foreign invaders the body turns against the digestive system. Affecting both men and women equally, it is a disease that typically affects those from 15 years of age to 35 years of age.

~Symptoms
Chron's is a chronic disease which means that those inflicted will go through periods where they have no symptoms and other periods called "flare ups". During these flare ups their symptoms will return. Hallmark symptoms of Chron's include abdominal pain which lessens after a bowel movement and diarrhea which is loose and watery. Rectal bleeding, itching and overall pain, may occur due to tears and fistulas occurring around the anus. Rare symptoms that may occur include fever, vomiting and nausea, blockage of the intestines, difficulty swallowing and long term Chron's can lead to weight loss, arthritis and skin problems because the body isn't absorbing the nutrients that it needs to prevent these from happening.

~Diagnosis
To receive a proper diagnosis of Chron's the first step is providing a thorough medical history of you and your family as Chron's appears to be partially hereditary. A blood sample may be taken to check for signs of vitamin deficiency and anemia, as well as a fecal sample to make sure that there is not another cause for the symptoms like Shigella, which is an E Coli type bacterium that causes many of the same symptoms.

Depending on the outcome of the test and the symptoms that are occurring an endoscopy (a diagnostic procedure in which a tube with a camera and light is inserted into the mouth to view the esophagus, the stomach and duodenum) or a colonoscopy (a diagnostic procedure in which a tube with a camera and light is inserted into the anus to view the colon and large intestines) may be performed. These tests will show if there is swelling of the lining or damage to it anywhere along the digestive tract. While receiving either

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