Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease affects about one million Americans. Crohn 's disease and ulcerative colitis are both types of irritable bowel disease, or IBD. Crohn 's disease is an ongoing illness that creates inflammation in the walls of the digestive tract. It can affect any area of the gastrointestinal tract (GI), from the mouth to the anus. Although it can be found along any part of the GI tract, it is most commonly detected in the small intestine. This paper will highlight the history, causes, dietary effects, prevention, and cures of Crohn 's disease.
Its namesake, Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, and two colleagues discovered the illness in 1932 (http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns, 2005). Since Crohn 's is a chronic disease, it requires more than a couple months of treatment and some simple medications. It is a lifetime illness that can be fully active, and can then be in total remission. A person with Crohn 's can go through the cycles of the disease many times in their lifespan. One of the common features of the disease is the immune system 's reaction to the natural bacteria in the small intestine. The bacterium found in the digestive tract, or gut flora, is mistaken for harmful microbes (Secko, 2005). It is at this time when the area around the GI tract becomes bombarded with white blood cells which is the beginning of inflammation. Since the body 's immune system attacks healthy, good bacteria, Crohn 's could be considered to be an autoimmune disease. With the disease able to affect any part of the GI tract, any part of the digestive system can be susceptible to inflammation. As previously stated, the small intestine is most commonly affected, but any organ in the digestive tract, from the esophagus to the colon, can become inflamed. Once the GI tract becomes inflamed, the visible symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and even rectal bleeding. Over time, a patient with Crohn 's can experience loss of appetite and fatigue. Other
Its namesake, Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, and two colleagues discovered the illness in 1932 (http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns, 2005). Since Crohn 's is a chronic disease, it requires more than a couple months of treatment and some simple medications. It is a lifetime illness that can be fully active, and can then be in total remission. A person with Crohn 's can go through the cycles of the disease many times in their lifespan. One of the common features of the disease is the immune system 's reaction to the natural bacteria in the small intestine. The bacterium found in the digestive tract, or gut flora, is mistaken for harmful microbes (Secko, 2005). It is at this time when the area around the GI tract becomes bombarded with white blood cells which is the beginning of inflammation. Since the body 's immune system attacks healthy, good bacteria, Crohn 's could be considered to be an autoimmune disease. With the disease able to affect any part of the GI tract, any part of the digestive system can be susceptible to inflammation. As previously stated, the small intestine is most commonly affected, but any organ in the digestive tract, from the esophagus to the colon, can become inflamed. Once the GI tract becomes inflamed, the visible symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and even rectal bleeding. Over time, a patient with Crohn 's can experience loss of appetite and fatigue. Other
References: About Crohn 's Disease (2005). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on November 3, 2005, http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns Crohn 's Disease (2005). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on November 19, 2005, http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohns_disease Functions of the Digestive System (2005). Retrieved November 9, 2005 from http://training.seer.cancer.gov/module_anatomy/unit10_1_dige_functions.html Secko, D. (2005). CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, March 15, 2005, v172, i6, p738 (2). Retrieved from Infotrac Database on the University of Phoenix Library on November 17, 2005.