Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a kind of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. It can have both short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) effects. Medicines and surgery may control flare-ups so that often the symptoms of Crohn disease are masked.

IBD comprises the two conditions; ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease. These diseases affect about 1 in 400 people in the United Kingdom.

The signs and symptoms of colitis are similar to that of Crohns. The symptoms of Crohns disease occur when the wall of the affected part of the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and can include pain in the abdomen, and diarrhea.

The location of the abdominal pain will depend on which part of the intestine is affected and different individuals can suffer varying severities of Crohn's disease pain. The lower end of the small intestine (or ileum) is a familiar place for the condition to occur and so the pain will often be felt on the lower right side of the abdomen.

Treatment is often given in the form of medicine but, although not proven, some people have found a crohns disease diet can relieve their symptoms.

© Brander Ltd. 2009