By: annie cantrell 5th hour 1-27-11 Crohn’s Disease By: annie cantrell 5th hour 1-27-11

Symptoms of crohn’s disease Symptoms of Crohn’s disease include: Diarrhea – the most common sign of this disease. Abdominal pain and cramping – in mild cases the pain is not as intense as for severe cases. Blood in your stool – blood may be bright red or a dull brown, it may also be invisible. Ulcers – may occur in mouth (like a canker sore) or on the actual intestine. Reduced appetite and weight loss – your ability to digest food is implicated with this disease. Other common symptoms: fever, fatigue, arthritis, eye inflammation, skin disorders, inflammation in bile ducts or liver. Crohn’s affects and is found in your intestines and other bowels. Symptoms of crohn’s disease

Genetics and environment Not much is known on what causes Crohn’s disease, but there is a genetic link. Crohn’s disease is autosomal – Crohn’s is seen on more than one chromosome in an affected person. The chromosomes – 16, 5, and 10. Risk factors for Crohn’s – smoking, being left-handed, getting your appendix removed as an adult, abusing anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. Crohn’s is more common in – developed countries, white-collar workers, individuals with indoor jobs. Just woman risk factors – women who take contrapositives are two times more likely to develop Crohn’s Second-hand smoke is just as likely to affect Crohn’s as first-hand smoke. Genetics and environment

How common is crohn’s disease? About 7 of every 100,000 people in the US have Crohn’s disease (highest in the world) Is Crohn’s gender specific? Crohn’s does not favor one gender over another but there is a slightly higher number of men with the disease. Different races are affected differently - In the US and European nations, Crohn’s is more common in Jewish people by 2-4 people. Crohn’s is also more commonly seen in whites than African- Americans and Asians. Age group for Crohn’s – Any one can get Crohn’s at any time. However, it usually diagnosed in the age groups 15 – 30 and 60-80. Other country’s stats – In Europe, South Africa and Australia the rate is 1-3 out of 100,000. In South America and Asia the rate is 1 out of every 100,000 About 20% of those living with Crohn’s have a blood relative with the disease. How common is crohn’s disease?

Can you live with Crohn’s? Crohn’s is a lifelong or chronic disease, meaning it will never fully go away. Living with Crohn’s varies from person to person - A person can live with Crohn’s, however surgery is required about 60% of the time. Half of the patients who receive one surgery need another - 5- 10% of the people living with Crohn’s die because no amount can remove their infection. The severity of Crohn’s changes - someone with Crohn’s may be symptom free for a period of time or have a period when it is extremely gruesome. Crohn’s requires a special diet – A person living with Crohn’s is advised to not eat milk products or drink milk. The person also should try to have a well- balanced diet with the proper amount of proteins and calories. Stress and anxiety can make the symptoms of Crohn’s worse, but are not a cause of the actual disease. Can you live with Crohn’s?

Treating crohn’s disease Treatment steps for Crohn’s include: Cortisone or steroids – A large amount is usually required to get the disease under control of the doctors. Patient won’t need the drug forever. Anti- Inflammatory drugs – Doctors use a group of 5 drugs to maintain control of the disease and keep bowels from swelling. Immune system suppressors – There are two main drugs used in this process to control the immune system in especially active cases. These are used for long term care. Inflixmab (remicade) – This is used in severe cases to bring down swelling, the drug is given over several hours. Antibiotics – Bacterial infection goes along in most cases of Crohn’s disease and antibiotics are used to cure those and not treat the actual disease. Surgery may be needed to remove part of the diseased bowel or drain them. Treating crohn’s disease

Interesting facts about crohn’s Interesting facts on Crohn’s: People who are left-handed are two times more likely to develop Crohn’s If your brother or sister has Crohn’s disease you are 30% more likely to have it. If the disease runs in your family then you are at a 20% chance. Many doctors are studying treatments for Crohn’s that are less stressful and painful than surgery. Crohn’s is studied with Ulcerative Colitis, together they are referred to as Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD. Looking at someone will not tell you or indicate they have Crohn’s because it is strictly a bowel disease. Men with Crohn’s may not be able to produce children due to infertility. Interesting facts about crohn’s

Pictures This is a picture of a small intestine with Crohn’s disease. To the left is a picture of where Crohn’s is located (labeled IBD). To the right is my cousin who has Crohn’s disease. Pictures

Support groups for crohn’s disease Support groups for those living with Crohn’s do exist! www.mdjunction.com/crohn-disease www.inspire.com/groups/crohns-disease/ www.dailystrength.org/c/Crohns-Disease-Ulcerative-Colitis/support-group There may be a support group within your community, or you can start your own! Support groups for crohn’s disease

http://www.crohns.net/Miva/education/articles/Risk_Factors.shtml http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/04/17/23647.aspx?page=2 http://www.ccfa.org/reuters/geneticlink resources