What Are Crohn's and Colitus?

Helping you access toilets. 

What are Crohn's and Colitus? They are medical conditions affecting the bowel and GI tract. If you are unfamiliar with these conditions you may be surprised to learn they affect 1 in every 200 people throughout the United States, making them quite common. However, many people with these conditions often feel embarrassment and a reluctance to talk about them. What makes matters worse many health care professionals are unfamiliar with these medical issues as well. This makes it crucial that if you are a patient who has been diagnosed with either of these conditions, you should make it a priority to learn all you can. Here is what you need to know to answer the questions- What are Crohn's and Colitus? 

Both of these medical problems fall under the category of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases also known as IBD. Statistics show up to 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with these conditions. It is important to know these are chronic conditions which often run in families. However, both Crohn's and Colitus tend to affect both genders in about equal numbers. Keep in mind while anyone can get these conditions (without a family history); studies also show Caucasians tend to have it more then any other ethnic group.

It is also important to know that while Crohn's and Colitus are two separate medical issues they have one very important thing in common. They both affect the body’s immune system. This abnormal immune reaction causes the body’s normal bacteria to “turn on” the gastrointestinal tract of the individual which brings on the severe symptoms which can be experienced. This reaction is what classifies both conditions as autoimmune diseases.

It is also important to keep in mind Crohn’s and Colitis is two separate medical conditions. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect any part of the individual from the mouth to the anus. Colitis is vastly different in the fact that it is a chronic inflammatory condition limited to the colon, (otherwise known as the large intestine). It should also be noted while each condition has its own separate symptoms there are also shared symptoms. These symptoms can include but are not limited to:

• Diarrhea
• An urgent need to move bowels
• Severe and consistent abdominal cramps and pain
• Rectal bleeding
• Having the sensation of incomplete evacuation
• Constipation 

It is important when anyone with the above listed symptoms or the general symptoms listed below be evaluated by their health care professional for any type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Patients should know there are treatments and effective ways to manage both Crohn’s and Colitis. The key to successful doing this is to seek out medical treatment at the first sign of symptoms. The general symptoms may indicate having an Inflammatory Bowel disease include:

• Fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Chronic fatigue
• Night sweats
• Loss of normal menstrual cycle

Learn more about these conditions. 

For further information click the link to this video. 

Help support this ad free blog by answering several questions about caregiving here. It will take just two minutes.

Call us. We're here to help.

About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

Tweet