Dr. Ahmed
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease are primarily related to the gastrointestinal tract. However, Crohn’s disease may affect the joints, cause vitamin deficiencies, and have a severe psychological impact on a person.
Thus, patients can have a variety of symptoms on presentation. However, most people will have gut-related symptoms such as diarrhea, blood and mucous in stools, and a sense of incomplete evacuation and fullness.
Introduction:
Crohn’s disease is a category of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). Among other consequences and manifestations of Crohn’s disease, it may induce inflammation in the tissues and linings of the digestive tract.
This may cause a number of problems like abdominal discomfort, unintended weight loss, fatigue, extreme diarrhea, and malnutrition.
In patients with Crohn’s disease, the entirety of the gastrointestinal tract can be affected and inflamed, typically the small intestine. The deepest lining and layers of the colon are most commonly penetrated by this inflammation.
This disease can be quite life-threatening, reduces the quality of the lifestyle, and is uncomfortable.
Despite the fact that this disease does not have any known cure, there are medications that can reduce inflammation, signs, and aid in prolonged remission. With the help of such medications, patients are capable of living productive lives.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Most Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease are related to the GI tract. Diarrhea and weight loss are the most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
These symptoms are then followed by Anorexia, abdominal pain, mucous and blood per rectum, fever, vomiting, and tenesmus.
Diarrhea is the most common symptom of Crohn’s disease:
Crohn’s disease is a result of the inflammation of the intestinal lining. When the mucosal lining is disrupted because of inflammation, absorption of nutrients is impaired.
As a person ingests, the food is not able to pass the intestines into the bloodstream. Undigested or even digested food particles pass away in stools in the form of diarrhea.
In addition to impaired digestion, the inflamed intestines secrete an inflammatory fluid which is seen in the stools as mucous. Blood is an irritant and it has a cathartic effect that causes diarrhea too.
Another reason is bile acid malabsorption. The bottom end of your small intestine, the ileum, is most frequently impacted by Crohn’s disease.
The body produces bile acids to aid in the absorption of fat, which are typically absorbed in the ileum. Impaired fat malabsorption can lead to steatorrhea. Steatorrhea is when stools contain large amounts of fats.
Steatorrhea is frequently accompanied by a sensation of urgency and the need to go to the bathroom. Doctors usually prescribe Cholestyramine, Colestipol, and Colesevelam to treat bile acid malabsorption.
Weight Loss is the second most common symptom of Crohn’s disease:
When you have Crohn’s disease, weight loss is typical. Weight loss can occur as a result of the inflammatory mediators, or because of the associated malabsorption.
It’s likely that your doctor or nutritionist will be able to help you make changes to help maintain a healthy weight once you’ve identified the cause of your weight loss.
- Some Crohn’s symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding, might prevent the body from absorbing nutrition. Over time, the nutritional loss may result in weight loss if these nutrients are not replaced by adequate dietary consumption.
- Vomiting and diarrhea are side effects of several drugs used to treat Crohn’s disease. If these adverse effects persist over time, weight loss may result. This is particularly feasible with drugs from the immunomodulators and aminosalicylates families.
Abdominal Cramps
One extremely typical sign of Crohn’s disease is stomach pains.
Cramping often happens an hour or two after eating and is more severe when it flares up. Although cramps can occur at any time, they often occur more frequently and severely in Crohn’s patients during a flare-up.
Both the underlying cause of Crohn’s disease and its consequences can result in cramps. An irritated digestive tract is the source of Crohn’s disease-related cramps.
They occur after eating because your intestines constrict as food passes through them. However, when your intestines are inflamed, these contractions—which are a natural aspect of digestion and help move food through your digestive tract—can be excruciatingly painful.
From the mouth to the rectum all areas of the digestive tract might be impacted by Crohn’s disease. Whichever area of your intestines is impacted will determine where your discomfort is located.
The last segment of the small intestine is most frequently impacted by Crohn’s disease. In that situation, the lower right side of your abdomen will experience the most severe cramping.
One strategy to lessen the probability of cramping is to eat more often and in smaller portions than you would during larger meals.
Your doctor might advise you to keep a notebook detailing the different Crohn’s disease symptoms if you have the condition.
You can record the moment that the pain occurred and the area of your abdomen that was impacted when it comes to discomfort. It’s also a good idea to assign a pain score between 1 and 10. This can help your treating doctor to decide the treatment.
Rectal Bleeding
In comparison to ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease is less likely to cause blood in the stool. The location of the inflammation brought on by Crohn’s disease may change this, though.
Inflammation of the small and large intestines can result from Crohn’s disease. Blood in the stool is more typical of Crohn’s disease in the large intestine or rectum than in the small intestine.
In order to remove the inflamed portions of the intestine in patients with Crohn’s disease, resection surgery may be performed. In order to prevent Crohn’s from resurfacing in the pouch, J-pouch surgery is often not performed.
A Crohn’s disease effect that can result in an anal fissure is blood loss. The anal canal’s lining can get torn, creating fissures.
With Crohn’s disease than with ulcerative colitis, fissures are more frequent. The vast majority of the time, they don’t require surgery to be effectively addressed.
If you ever find any blood in your feces, inform your doctor. In particular, if it hasn’t happened in a while, it should be discussed with a doctor as soon as you can.
The treatment of bleeding per rectum is managed by controlling the disease and administering drugs that stop bleeding like tranexamic acid, antibiotics, and blood transfusions.
Fatigue and Exhaustion
Crohn’s illness is all-too-often characterized by fatigue, an overpowering feeling of lethargy, and a lack of energy. People with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis may experience significant effects from fatigue on their employment, everyday activities, and quality of life.
In addition to the disease’s direct impacts, Crohn’s disease sufferers also typically deal with pain, worry, despair, and sleeping problems, which all contribute to weariness.
Make sure you’re eating enough food. Fatigue may result from a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals, including iron and the vitamins B12 and D. Consult your physician about supplements.
Go to a psychologist for counseling. Talk to your doctor or a counselor about how to deal with tiredness and other psychological issues like stress, worry, and depression that can affect exhaustion.
Physical activity may help in relieving stress and anxiety.
Mucus In Stools
Mucus in the stool is another symptom of Crohn’s disease, which is characterized by gastrointestinal tract inflammation.
Additionally to blood and undigested lipids, this mucus may be present in the stools. The stool looks to be covered with something that resembles gel.
Through medication and dietary modifications, the underlying Crohn’s disease is managed during treatment.
The feces may have traces of mucus on them or be fully covered. It might be yellow or white. In persons with Crohn’s disease, the presence of mucus in the stool is unimportant if it does not coincide with the emergence of fresh symptoms.
Some Other Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease symptoms that are less typical include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Joint swelling and discomfort
- Oral sores or mouth ulcers
- Redness, swelling, and itching are symptoms of skin irritation.
- Uveitis, or inflamed and red eyes
