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Mild Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a disorder that affects the digestive system. The condition is chronic and involves the painful inflammation of certain portions of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the small and large intestine. While the symptoms of Crohn's disease can be severe or relatively mild, one of the characteristics of the disorder is the tendency of the symptoms to rotate between periods of increased severity and remission.

  1. Symptoms

    • Individuals with mild Crohn's disease will experience periods of unexpected weight loss, diarrhea, decreased appetite, mild fever, bloody stools, abdominal pain and a general feeling of illness and fatigue. The symptoms of mild Crohn's disease are extremely different from more advanced stages of Crohn's disease, in which the individual will experience dehydration, high fever, extreme weight loss and severe abdominal tenderness and pain.

    Causes

    • The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. Certain groups, however, have been identified as running a greater risk of developing the condition. These include white women with a Jewish background. Crohn's disease also appears to have a strong genetic component and is more likely to occur in families with a previous history of the condition.

    Diagnosis

    • If Crohn's disease is suspected, the first step towards a positive diagnosis will be a series of blood and stool samples. If these tests indicate inflammation, a vitamin deficiency or anemia, the next step will be an X-ray or an endoscopy, accompanied by a biopsy of tissue. An endoscopy is a special procedure in which a scope is inserted into the gastrointestinal tract and used to search for the characteristic ulcers that occur on the digestive tract walls in Crohn's disease sufferers.

    Treatment

    • Mild cases of Crohn's disease are usually treated in one of two ways: with antibiotics or salicylates. While neither can completely cure the condition, they are both effective methods of decreasing the symptoms and inflammation that commonly occur with the condition.

    Possible Complications

    • If mild Crohn's disease is left untreated, it can not only progress to a more severe form of the condition, but it can result in a variety of serious medical conditions. These include anemia, internal bleeding, perforated intestines, liver inflammation, chronic digestive problems and bowel obstruction.

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