Signs and Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
People suffering from Crohn’s often experience chronic diarrhea, chronic abdominal pain and weight loss, which may be due to chronic diarrhea or fear of consuming food with severe symptoms. A feeling of low energy and fatigue is also common for these patients, which may be a result of anemia. Among younger children, Crohn's Disease may delay growth and development, and cause a failure to thrive. Crohn's Disease is a chronic disease, so this means patients will likely experience periods when the disease flares up and causes symptoms, followed by periods of remission when patients may not notices symptoms at all.
In severe cases, Crohn's Disease can lead to tears (fissures) in the lining of the anus, which may cause pain and bleeding, especially during bowel movements. Inflammation may also cause a fistula to develop. A fistula is a tunnel that leads from one loop of intestine to another, or that connects the intestine to the bladder, vagina, or skin. This is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms of inflammation can occur outside of the intestines and include joint pain or soreness, eye irritation and skin changes that involve red, tender bumps under the skin.
Crohn's Disease is difficult and challenging to diagnose and manage, because every patient’s condition is different; the symptoms, onset, extent and severity of the disease will vary. Patient symptoms don’t always correlate with disease severity. On average, it takes 36 months and approximately 4.5 procedures for a patient to be diagnosed with Crohn's Disease.
It is critical to get an early diagnosis for these patients, because the longer the disease impacts the bowel, the more penetrating the disease becomes, and the higher the risk of further health concerns.
Studies also show that the more proximal the disease is found, the more severe the disease becomes and can be a leading indicator of relapse.
Next Page: Diagnosing Crohn’s Disease
