Crohn's Disease profile picture

Crohn's Disease

About Me


Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum.
Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have a blood relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn’s disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s disease.
Several theories exist about what causes Crohn’s disease, but none have been proven. The human immune system is made from cells and different proteins that protect people from infection. The most popular theory is that the body’s immune system reacts abnormally in people with Crohn’s disease, mistaking bacteria, foods, and other substances for being foreign. The immune system’s response is to attack these “invaders.” During this process, white blood cells accumulate in the lining of the intestines, producing chronic inflammation, which leads to ulcerations and bowel injury.
Treatment may include drugs, nutrition supplements, surgery, or a combination of these options. The goals of treatment are to control inflammation, correct nutritional deficiencies, and relieve symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. At this time, treatment can help control the disease by lowering the number of times a person experiences a recurrence, but there is no cure. Treatment for Crohn’s disease depends on the location and severity of disease, complications, and the person’s response to previous medical treatments when treated for reoccurring symptoms.

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My Blog

New Blog

Hi Everyone, I hope you're well. I have started a new blog over at blogspot about Crohn's Disease. I hope you'll take the time to have a look. I'll be adding new stuff daily. I welcome any and all ...
Posted by on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:50:00 GMT

Drink This Please...

I wonder what kind of kid says "when I grow up I want to be a gastroenterologist. I want to immerse myself in the malfunctioning bowel, the deseased digestive system, the inflamed intestine. I'll be u...
Posted by on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

A new hope part 2: An update on me

Well as most of you know I was supposed to start Remicade back in the beginning of October. It didn't happen. My doc decided that Humira was a better option because we only get one shot at remicade. A...
Posted by on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:23:00 GMT

Adalimumab Linked to Significant Quality-of-Life Improvement in Patients With Crohn’s Disease

Maintenance therapy with adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories) is associated with meaningful improvements in disease-specific quality of life for patients with Crohn's disease, 2 new studies have f...
Posted by on Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:22:00 GMT

New hope?

The ACCA has launched a campaign to raise awareness of CD & UC, including a TV commercial Click Here to see it It hasn't made it's way to youtube yet, but when it does I'll post it up on the pageI am ...
Posted by on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:37:00 GMT

Medication...What works??

I've posted this blog because I've recieved a number of messages about various medications, it seems that a lot of people have a lot of questions so I thought I would open it up so that evryone could ...
Posted by on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:31:00 GMT

Infliximab & the PBS...the fight continues

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Council have announced that Infliximab will be recommended to be listed on the PBS for severe Crohn's Disease Please read here for more info (PBS Infliximab decisi...
Posted by on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:52:00 GMT

Reducing pain from Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can occur in any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. While the cause is unknown it is thought to result when the immune system...
Posted by on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:56:00 GMT

Explaining Crohn's Disease

Crohn's Disease, a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), is a disease of the gastrointestinal system that can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, but most commonly o...
Posted by on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:19:00 GMT