Crohns Disease Articles

When you first learn that you have Crohn's disease, you will probably feel overwhelmed. You may not even have heard of Crohn's disease until now. And even if you are familiar with the disorder, the information you have may be pretty limited. That's all about to change. Clearly, you will have many questions about how this disease will affect you-both now and down the road.
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Crohn's Disease / Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are characterized by chronic inflammation of areas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The cause of IBD’s is unknown, though there is evidence that it may involve a genetic predisposition which causes the immune system to react inappropriately - mistaking food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading substances. In individuals with IBD’s, the body attacks these common substances by sending white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury.
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Crohn's Disease

By NIDDK
WebMD Public Information from the National Institutes of Health

Other complications associated with Crohn's disease include arthritis, skin problems, inflammation in the eyes or mouth, kidney stones, gallstones, or other diseases of the liver and biliary system. Some of these problems resolve during treatment for disease in the digestive system, but some must be treated separately.
Read the article... Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease tends to get worse over time, particularly if it is left untreated. The symptoms of Crohn’s, including cramping and diarrhea, can lead some people to becoming undernourished. Crohn’s can complicate your social life, making travel, eating out, or even taking short trips a source of worry and discomfort. As Crohn’s disease progresses, it often becomes more difficult to treat. This is why early diagnosis and treatment are so important.
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Current Medical Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
GREGORY F. BONNER, MD, Fort Lauderdale, Fla
ABSTRACT: Traditional medical therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes corticosteroids and sulfasalazine. In recent years, several mesalamine derivatives of sulfasalazine have become available. These allow delivery of increased dosages of active medication with minimal side effects. Newer steroid preparations, all investigational at this point, likely will offer efficacy similar to that of prednisone but with an improved side effect profile. Immunosuppressive agents, including 6-mercaptopurine, azathioprine, and likely also methotrexate, are beneficial in treating refractory IBD, particularly in patients with chronic steroid dependence. Cyclosporine has been shown to be remarkably effective in delaying colectomy for severe ulcerative colitis, but its long-term role remains uncertain.
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IS CROHN’S MORE SEVERE IN SMOKERS?

The answer is probably yes. In some studies symptoms have been more severe, and the ‘quality of life’ (which measures how much in the way of symptoms people are having) is worse in smokers, particularly women. Also, if people have had operations for Crohn’s, the chances of needing another operation over the next few years is nearly twice as high in smokers. In one American study, the number of days on which people felt symptoms was much less in non-smokers - 5 days per month rather than 15.
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Alternative and Complementary Medication used in treating Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis....

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On behalf of learning, and use as teaching tools for those of us who need to know about our disease, I have tried to supply you with as much information as I could find on all of the drugs, treatments and disorders associated with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. I have tried to blend all facts supported by research and also from personal experiences of other IBD sufferers into one readable webpage, and any and all information presented here is not entirely from one source. Most information contained within these pages is found in the public domain. At times you may find information used from another site, and as with all copyrighted materials you may find on these pages, I claim fair use under sections 107 through 118 of the Copyright Act (title 17, U.S. Code). Click here for more info

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