1. By: Caitie C. and Miranda F.
Crohn’s Disease

2. Crohn’s Disease
a chronic disorder of unknown origin characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
any part of the GI tract can be affected, from the mouth to the anus, the area where the small intestine (terminal ileum) and colon (cecum) meet is the site most commonly involved.

3. Autoimmunity
no one knows exactly what causes Crohn's, something in the body causes the immune system to overreact.
Various stimuli may trigger Crohn's disease, affecting individuals differently.
it might be a bacteria, something in the intestines, or even family history.
scientists now believe it is a combination of all these factors.
If a person has Crohn’s disease, they may have inherited a unique gene in their immune system.
something happened that triggered that gene, causing the overreaction, which then caused inflammation in intestines.

4. Symptoms Fever, sweats, or chills Muscle aches Cough
Shortness of breath
Blood in phlegm
Weight loss
Warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body
Diarrhea or stomach pain
Burning when you urinate
Urinating more often than normal
Feeling very tired
gallstones
inflammation of the eyes and mouth
kidney stones
liver disease
skin rashes or ulcers
arthritis

5. Treatments
Aminosalicylates (such as sulfasalazine or mesalamine). These medicines help manage symptoms for many people who have Crohn's disease.
Antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin or metronidazole). They are also used to treat fistulas and abscesses.
Corticosteroids (such as budesonide or prednisone). These may be given by mouth for a few weeks or months to control inflammation.
Azathioprine or mercaptopurine.
Biologics (such as infliximab or adalimumab). Doctors may proscribe these medicines if there was no success with other medicines for Crohn's disease.
Severe symptoms may be treated with corticosteroids given through a vein (intravenous, IV) or biologics. With severe symptoms, the first step is to control the disease.

6. Ongoing Treatments
Ongoing treatment is designed to find a medicine or combination of medicines that keeps Crohn's disease in remission.
If aminosalicylates or immune system suppressors keep your disease in remission, you will continue taking the medicines.
Your doctor will want to see you about every 6 months if your condition is stable or more frequently if you have flare-ups.
You may have lab tests every 2 to 3 months.
Corticosteroids may be given to stop inflammation if you have flare-ups of symptoms.
If you need to take corticosteroids for an extended time, you also may receive calcium, vitamin D, and prescription medicine to prevent osteoporosis.

7. Side effects of Treatments
Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)-side effects, including nausea, vomiting, heartburn and headache
Mesalamine (Asacol, Rowasa)-side effects include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea and headache
Corticosteroids-side effects, including a puffy face, excessive facial hair, night sweats, insomnia and hyperactivity, more-serious side effects include high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, bone fractures, cataracts, glaucoma and an increased susceptibility to infections

8. Who Can Get it?
Crohn’s disease can affect anyone at any age; however, it's usually first diagnosed in people in their teens and twenties.
Crohn's tends to affect people of both sexes equally, though some groups, including blacks, whites, and Jews of European descent, are diagnosed more frequently than Asians and Hispanics.
Also, people who have family members with Crohn’s disease appear to be more likely to have it themselves.

9. Works Cited www.bidmc.org www.crohnsandme.com www.doctortipster.com