The Gut Gazette: "A Healthy Snack = A Healthy Tummy"

What is Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's disease is one of the two inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), the other being ulcerative colitis. With Crohn's disease, inflammation and ulcers can occur at any part of the gastrointestinal tract (from the mouth to the anus).

Most Common Symptoms include:

- severe abdominal pain,

- frequent, urgent trips to the bathroom

- loss of appetite and weight loss

- ulcers

Other Symptoms are...

- bloody stools

- fevers

- fistulas

- eye inflammation

- skin disorders

- arthritis

IBD is an auto-immune disease, this means that your body is turning against you. Your body thinks that your organs and tissues are bad, therefore they attack them. Common autoimmune diseases include diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease.

Unfortunately doctors do not exactly know why Crohn's disease occurs and they do not have any cure to fight the disease. Common ideas to why Crohn's disease happens is from genetics, the environment and/or unfriendly bacteria in the gut.

Can YOU Relate?

knife stabbing pain in the upper abdomen; feels like your intestines are being wrung out; cramping in the lower abdomen; sharp pain in the lower right corner of your abdomen; distended stomach, very bloated; feels like there are golf balls floating around your belly; frequent, urgent diarrhea, loose stools; lack of appetite; fatigue; canker sores in the mouth; in so much pain that you have to curl up in a ball; miss out on a lot of activities; restricted diet; afraid to go places in case a bathroom can't be found; countless doctor visits; frustration of not knowing what you have; in constant pain, but it now just feels like your normal