What are the Common Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

What are the Common Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

“Abdominal pain,” “Diarrhea,” and “Fatigue” are all words and symptoms that are frequently used by patients who have Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that specifically affects the gastrointestinal tract. At Great Lakes Gastroenterology, we have seen many patients who are dealing with Crohn’s and its symptoms. While no cure is available yet, we offer therapies that focus on reducing your signs and symptoms as well as keeping you in remission from those symptoms for as long as possible.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

We have heard that Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease before, but what does that really mean? Your gastrointestinal tract runs from your mouth all the way down to your anus. Think about having your gastrointestinal tract inflamed and how that would affect you. For many of us, it’s not something we think about but rather something we live with every single day. Crohn’s disease specifically targets and inflames the lining of your digestive tract. It can be present in all different areas of your gastrointestinal system. Many times, the inflammation brought on by Crohn’s will spread. The spreading of this disease will go deep into the layers of the affected bowel tissue, causing a tremendous amount of pain and problems. So much so that Crohn’s disease can be considered as a life threatening illness.

What are the Common Symptoms of Crohn’s?

Imagine a cut on your finger. While it is so small, that tiny cut starts to get infected and inflamed. It quickly becomes something you think about because it is so painful! Now, let’s think about Crohn’s. Imagine that type of inflammation and infection and multiply it all over your digestive tract. Many of those suffering from Crohn’s disease feel abdominal pain that is excruciating. While some cope with this pain, others can have it so bad that they are unable to perform their daily routine. Severe diarrhea, fever, weight loss and anemia are just some of the many symptoms that Crohn’s disease can carry. With all of these symptoms happening, it’s easy to see how many Crohn’s disease patients are malnourished and often battle malnutrition problems throughout their lives. Long-term effects are just as daunting. Bowel obstructions, ulcers, fistulas and even colon cancer are known to have a direct correlation to those living with Crohn’s disease.

Living with Crohn’s Disease

If you have any of these symptoms or feel like you may have Crohn’s, come see our experts here at Great Lakes Gastroenterology. We offer both diagnostic care and treatment options for patients dealing with Crohn’s. Our staff here is trained and are experts in colonoscopies to help diagnose Crohn’s disease. During this procedure, our staff can take samples of tissue to confirm the disease as well as look for the inflammatory cells that may be present in Crohn’s patients.

If you are dealing with the signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease, don’t wait to come in and speak with us. At Great Lakes Gastroenterology, we believe in doing our part in making Crohn’s a more manageable disease for everyone. For more information, call us today at 269-687-8744.