Symptoms & Treatments for Crohn's Disease

For an estimated 3.1 million Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), painful abdominal cramping, persistent diarrhea, and even rectal bleeding are a part of everyday life. For half a million of those individuals, the specific IBD they are dealing with is Crohn’s disease.

While the exact cause—or causes—of Crohn’s disease aren’t fully known, research suggests that it may be the result of an autoimmune disorder. Under normal circumstances, your immune system uses inflammation to protect your body against what it perceives as threats. In the case of Crohn’s disease, the “threat” perceived by the immune system is in the lining and wall of the digestive tract. There is no actual infection. For this reason, it’s considered to be an “auto-immune disease.” The resulting chronic condition can occur anywhere along the digestive track—from entrance to exit. Symptoms include: diarrhea; cramping or abdominal pain, most often in the middle or lower right part of the belly; fatigue, fever, weight loss, redness or pain in the eyes, joint pain, night sweats, mouth sores, abscesses around the anus/rectum, and fistulae (small openings in the skin, draining fluid or even fecal matter).

For many people, symptoms may come on suddenly (referred to as flare ups) but it’s also possible to experience times with few or no symptoms (referred to as remission). Symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary by individual and the specific type of Crohn’s disease they have (FYI, there are five different types). But in all cases the disease is chronic, and can often be progressive, meaning it can get worse over time. 

Because Crohn’s has many potential symptoms, diagnosis can take time and frequently involves ruling out other conditions.

Some common tests and procedures used for diagnosis include:

• Blood tests
• Stool studies
• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopy
• CT scan
• MRI

Currently, there’s no cure for Crohn’s disease. Instead, the goals of treatment are, first, to improve current symptoms, and second, to reduce or eliminate inflammation and promote healing of the intestine to try to prevent long-term complications.

A treatment plan typically includes many things to help manage your disease—and can include medications, diet, and healthy lifestyle practices. 
It may include:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Immune system suppressors
• Antibiotics
• Biologics
• A low-fiber diet
• A special IBD diet
• Vitamins and supplements
• Anti-diarrheal medication
• Quitting smoking
• Engage in regular exercise
• Practice stress management techniques

If these treatments don't relieve your signs and symptoms, surgery to remove the damaged portion of your digestive track may be necessary. In fact, nearly half of those with Crohn's disease will require at least one surgery. It’s important to note that surgery does not cure Crohn's disease but may provide temporary remission from severe symptoms.

If you’ve previously been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and are experiencing ongoing symptoms, or if you are having concerning gastrointestinal symptoms and are concerned that you might have Crohn’s disease, you should be evaluated by a gastroenterologist.

David Furman, MD,  is a gastroenterologist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.