Running Head: Crohns Disease

Crohns Disease Natasha Shelpman Med Tech College

Crohns Disease

As a young child, I remember my step-mother being in and out of the hospital. I was always told that it was her Crohns disease, and not to worry she would be home soon. I never realized the severity of her condition until I got a quite a bit older. Living with a family member who is suffering from this disease has made me more curious about how this disease affects the body. Crohns disease is a less known malady that results in the inflammation of the nerves. It attacks any section of the gut that is widespread on the ileum. The walls of the ileum swell up and this causes soreness. This disorder often effects the emptying of the ileum and hence the diarrhea. Crohns disease is not a sex linked disease, as it attacks both genders in equality. The disorder is more universal on full-grown people i.e. at about 30 years. Nearly a fifth of the people with this disease have other people they relate with that encompass the identical disorder. This disease is at times referred to as ileitis or enteritis (Follert, J. 2010). The actual basis of the disease is not plainly known. Research shows that the disease is caused by the combination of various factors such as the inherent make up of an organism, the body protective mechanism and some ecological features. The ecological factors, such as antigens may enter the body and elicit assembly of large sums of uncontrolled antibodies to fight in opposition to them. Such antibodies are usually too high for the body to cope with and thus causing a lot of irritation in the gut and finally the affected areas swell up. The defensive mechanism of a person with Crohns syndrome is faulty in a sense that it misinterprets food taken by the person to be antigens. In effect, a large number of antibodies are triggered to fight aligned with the antigens. The immune coordination of the person lacks a regulatory mechanism to identify when to cease releasing the antibodies by it. Over-release of antibodies leads to swells in the bowel walls and thus irritation.

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Even if human bodies respond differently towards various stimuli, the most frequently observed signs of Crohns are abdominal pain that occurs on the right and too much diarrhea since the grip of the ileum to hold the digestive material loosens up due to widening of the lumen. The persons may exhibit hemorrhage of the rectum as a result of inflammation of the intestines; small holes form in the annual lining resulting in pain and blood oozing during excretion. With time, the patients weight deteriorates due to reduced psyche of eating and more repeatedly experiences sting in the joints; this is called arthritis (OA). Inflammation may cause formation of channels that connect the ileum to other organs, such as the vagina, the bladder, or pelt. Pus or mucus may appear from such sites. A growing child with the disease would have retarded growth and sluggish sexual developments. Too much fatigue among the victims is observed (Tersigni, R, &, Prantera, C. 2009). A physician may be required to carry out a number of tests to identify the presence of the disease. A blood test is performed to find out presence of anemia in the body, or too much leucocytes. Existence of anemia is an indicator of hemorrhage whereas increased amount of the leucocytes indicates inflammation. An x-ray test may be done to establish the shape of the intestines. The patient slurps barium solution (white) for clear visibility during photographing. The photograph should be taken on both the upper and lower parts of the intestines to show the seriousness of the disease. A sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy technique is used. A tube is normally inserted in the annual opening of the patient and connected to the screen. The shape of the lower part and the entire colon are reflected in the respective technique. The pattern of the intestines is cast on the screen. In case of any abnormality in the shape of the intestines, then the person is said to have Crohns.

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The intestinal passage of the patient may be blocked. This is as a result of the swellings and scar formation. The radius of the ileum is greatly minimized. The blocking causes much ache in mid-abdomen and the patient vomits regularly. The abdomen may start swelling out and thus medication becomes inevitable. Surgery is preferred in this case. Advance of ulcers along the walls of the ileum is another complication. More severe cases engross advancement of the ulcers to fistulas which are channels that connect the intestines to other parts such as the vagina, bladder or skin. The outcome is incidence of pus in the mentioned areas or even mucus. A special drainage agent must be fixed into the logged areas for drainage. This is done by either a radiologist or a surgeon (Tersigni, R, &, Prantera, C.2009). Malnutrition is also a form of complication for delayed treatment of Crohns. It arises due to the inability of the body to take in and assimilate the nutrients egested into the digestive tract. Medical cure is usually the solution: taking food rich in proteins, vitamins and calories. Oral or injection administration of the deficient food may be of much help. The most widespread type of Crohns disease is the ileocoltis. It attacks the ileum and the colon. Its signs are diarrhea and abdominal pains. A tremendous decrease in weight is underscored. Ileitis is another type of Crohns. Its presence is detected by formation of the ulcers, and finally the fistula tunnels. The lack of inflammation in the right tummy is a further confirmation. Crohns disease that attacks the belly and duodenum is called gastro duodenal crohns disease. Vomiting, decreased weight and limited appetite may show presence of the disease. At times, the patient experiences muscle pains in the intestines due to cramps after meals and diarrhea. It only occurs in the upper parts of the ileum. This type of Crohns disease is referred to as jejunoileitis.

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Crohns colitis affects the large intestines. It is linked with the bleeding of the rectum. Diarrhea is a regular phenomenon to patients of this type of Crohns. Arthritis and ulcers on the anus are other linked symptoms of this form of Crohns. People who have close kinship ties with affected persons are more susceptible to develop the disease. Studies have shown that roughly one fifth of patients suffering from the disorder are close relatives with other victims with the same malady. In fact, those who have relatives with the disorder are about ten times susceptible to the disease compared to unrelated people. Chromosomal or gene mutation that leads to the formation of NOD2/CARD 15 gene further increases the chances of contracting this disorder. The gene minimizes the chances of the body to detect presence and the harmful nature of the antigens such as bacteria and fungi. The body thus produces too much antibodies alongside unharmful materials. The race factor also contributes to the ease of contacting the malady; people of the Jewish ascent are believed to have a higher chance to contact the disease than people from other races since the disorder is most ordinary among the Jews. In addition, urbanization and migration of people contribute towards the increase of this disease. This disease is found to be more frequent in urban areas compared to rural areas (Stephen, A, et al. 2010). Despite the fact that the disorder has got no complete cure, control of the aching and humiliating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdomen pains, bleeding of the rectum and the like can be regulated. With continued study, the direct cure of the disorder will be identified. Through surgical operation, the damaged and inflammated intestines can be cut off and separated from the entire canal. The space left is then linked and sued up so as to seal once more. The point where the small and large intestines meet is the part highly affected and hence trimmed off. This surgery aids in reopening of the gut. The administration of steroids enables the patient

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to gain weight. However, too much steroids exposes the patient to the risk of other disorders such as obesity and arteriosclerosis (Jeremy Laurance, 2007). Getting too much stress is also an accelerating factor for the disease. The patient should involve himself in activities so they can feel stress-free. Administering drugs which are antiinflammatory such as asacol and dipentum is of much help. The drugs are taken orally, or via the rectum. These drugs are only effective for the placid form of the ailment. Some types of antibodies are used to hinder certain forms of white blood cells from being excreted. These are the ones that root inflammation of the gut. Others are used to delay the response of the body towards secretion of antibodies. This reduction lessens the quantity of antibodies in the body that could result in inflammation (Gomez, J. 2000). Upholding a balanced diet will also help in controlling of the disease. Patients suffering from the disease have limited appetite for food and more so, they lose too much of their nutrients through diarrhea and vomiting. Taking food rich in amino acids and carbohydrates will replace the energy lost. More water also substitutes the lost fluids hence the patient becomes more energetic. However, with the research that is ongoing, the direct cure for Crohns Disease will be discovered. If a person does not control their Crohns disease the end results could be deadly. With early detection and proper diet a person can live a pretty normal life with this disease. It also takes a lot of support and love from the family of the person who has this condition. I know from first-hand experience about the ups and downs of the road ahead of a person diagnosed with Crohns, but the person also needs to know that they are not alone. With modern medical technology they will live a long, fun filled, active lifestyle.

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References Jeremy Laurance, 2007. Crohn's disease: 'I won't let this illness control me. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/crohns-diseasei-wont-let-this-illness-control-me-453779.html. Tersigni, R, &, Prantera, C. (2009).Crohns disease: A multidisciplinary approach, Chicago: Springer Gomez, J. (2000).Positive option for crohns disease, London: Hunter House. Follert, J. (2010). Crohns and Colitis, Washington: Metroland Media group Ltd. Sands, B. (2010). Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, New York: Daily News Readers. Stephen, A, et al. (2010).Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Translating Basic Science into Clinical Practice, London: John Wiley and Sons.

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Crohns Disease