Crohn’s Disease
Elayne Christophers, MA Alaska Career College
Named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who first described the disease in 1932 along with colleagues Dr. Leon Ginzburg and Dr. Gordon D. Oppenheimer, Crohn’s disease belongs to a group of conditions known as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
When reading about inflammatory bowel diseases, it is important to know that Crohn’s disease is not the same thing as ulcerative colitis, another type of IBD. The symptoms of these two illnesses are quite similar, but the areas affected in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) are different.
Crohn’s most commonly affects the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and the beginning of the colon, but it may affect any part of the
…show more content…
This mixes with the stools, causing diarrhea. If the large intestine is affected, diarrhea may be small in quantity but affect the sufferer numerous times a day. If the small intestine is affected, diarrhea may be very large in quantity but affect the sufferer in less frequency. If you suffer from frequent diarrhea, you may become dehydrated because of the loss of liquids. Be sure to rehydrate with not only water, but salts and minerals to. 4. Bloody Stool
Bloody stools are a disconcerting symptom of Crohn’s disease. As the inflammation of the bowels cause ulcers, blood may mix with the stool. If the blood comes from high in the digestive process, the stool may appear black in color. If the blood comes from further in the digestive processes, the blood may be bright red. Frequent diarrhea can cause bloody liquid to be discharged into the toilet. If you experience any type of bloody stool, contact your doctor immediately. 5. Frequent