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Use of Steroids in Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Though no one is certain what causes the disease, contributing factors may include lifestyle choices including diet and smoking as well as genetic markers including family history and race. While there is no cure for Crohn's disease, the symptoms can be managed through a combination of lifestyle changes and drugs, including steroids.

  1. Function

    • The autoimmune system in the human body typically stays dormant unless a threat to the body's well-being is present. With Crohn's disease, the autoimmune system chronically activates when no threat is present. Due to the chronic nature of the autoimmune system, the GI tract reacts to the constant stimuli with swelling and ulcers. Although these symptoms are most typically confined to the intestines, they can occur at any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus.

    Significance

    • Since there is no known cure for Crohn's disease, treatment is focused on lessening the symptoms. Patients suffering from Crohn's disease will go through periods with no symptoms, followed by intense durations of symptoms. These symptomatic flare-ups can be lessened in frequency by controlling your lifestyle. Stopping smoking, eating a well-balanced diet and taking a good multivitamin will help to improve your overall health. Additionally, reducing stress will help to reduce the number of times you experience symptoms.

    Medical Therapy

    • Patients experiencing mild symptoms can often control them through the use of antibiotics. However severe flare-ups can be controlled or possibly ended with the use of steroids. However, because steroid dependence is a consideration, steroids are used only in the most aggressive cases of Crohn's disease.

    Considerations

    • Patients who suffer from steroid-dependent Crohn's disease are responsive to steroid therapy, but when they attempt to taper off of the steroids, their symptoms flare up again. This is a common problem in patients who smoke or take other types of anti-inflammatory medications.

    Solution

    • For patients with extreme cases of steroid-dependent Crohn's disease, surgery to remove sections of the GI tract is a solution that reduces frequency of symptoms. Less extreme methods may involve using steroids in combination with other non-steroidal immunosuppressants.

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