Are you familiar with the common symptoms of Crohn’s disease? This disease is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30, but how can one tell the difference between common colon issues and symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Understanding the disease’s symptoms may help you find the treatment for your colorectal care.
What Is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, and causes inflammation of your digestive tract. The inflammation leads to severe diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, and fatigue. Crohn’s disease often spreads deep into the affected bowel tissue layers and is a debilitating issue to those affected.
Therapies are often recommended for treatment of Crohn’s disease, as there isn’t a known cure for Crohn’s disease. Therapies can reduce the symptoms and even bring long-term remission to those affected.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Due to no known cure for Crohn’s disease, it is crucial people who may have the disease to contact their colorectal doctor treatment options.
Signs to look for
Crohn’s disease has similar symptoms to other colorectal issues, which makes it difficult to distinguish if the symptoms are associated with Crohn’s disease.
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease are the following:
- Severe diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Belly pain described as cramping and sore to the touch
- Loss of appetite
- Low red blood cells developing into anemia
- Small tears in the anus
What to do if you suffer from these symptoms
If you believe you may have symptoms of Crohn’s disease, schedule an appointment with a colorectal physician to discuss the symptoms you have been having. They will help determine if you do have the inflammatory bowel disease and discuss what next steps you will need to take.
Treatments for Crohn’s disease depend on the severity of the disease. For mild cases of the disease, your doctor may recommend an antidiarrheal medicine to slow the painful spasms in your intestines. Severe cases will require treatments and your colorectal doctor will choose the best the right treatment for it.