Crohn’s disease is a chronic disorder that affects the digestive tract. The inflammation in Crohn’s disease may affect any part of the digestive tract. This disease belongs to the category of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and has no particular cause. There is no complete cure for the disease, and only the symptoms can be managed to an extent. In severe cases of Crohn’s disease, complications like intestinal rupture or bowel obstruction may occur. For such complications, surgery may be required.

This disease affects different people in different ways. There are 5 different types of Crohn’s diseases based on the location in the digestive tract that it affects: Ileocolitis, ileitis, granulomatous colitis, Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease, and Jejunoileitis.

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease
Crohn’s disease is a severe inflammation of the intestinal tract that can affect other organs as well, and the symptoms of the disease vary with respect to the inflammation or injury. Common symptoms are as follows:

• Abdominal pain
• Cramping
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Blood in stools
• Weight loss
• Fever

As the disease progresses, the structure of the gastrointestinal tract changes considerably, leading to the development of fissures, ulcers, and abscesses.

Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease
The diagnosis of Crohn’s disease can be challenging, because in some cases, it may be difficult to point out the disease even after multiple diagnostic tests. The following are the normally followed diagnostic tests:

• Physical examination : The doctor may conduct a physical examination and also collect information regarding your family and medical history.
• Endoscopy : This test helps in direct visualization of the digestive tract. A flexible, light guided scope is inserted into the tract through the rectum or throat to visualize the appearance of the tract.
• Colonoscopy : This is an endoscopic procedure used to diagnose the disease.
• Indirect visualization : When visualization does not offer definitive evidence, other imaging techniques like MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound are used.
• Blood tests : Although blood tests cannot diagnose the disease, they can help identify and quantify the effect it has on your body.

Treatment of Crohn’s disease
The treatment cannot address the causes, but it can treat the symptoms. Diet restrictions, medications, and lifestyle changes are effective in treating symptoms of the disease. Eating a healthy diet without too much spice and oil helps in reducing the symptoms to a large extent. Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, regular physical workout, staying hydrated, and quitting alcohol help in managing the disease. Dietary changes like adding more fiber to your diet, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating at regular intervals are ways to prevent triggering the disease.

Conclusion
Although Crohn’s disease has no cure, its symptoms can be medically managed. When left untreated, the disease may lead to serious complications like bowel perforation, bowel obstruction, and toxic megacolon. Long-term inflammation may affect multiple organs apart from the digestive tract. Dealing with the disease can be a physical and mental challenge, but there are many preventive measures that one can follow to prevent the flaring up of the disease.