Crohn's Disease Treatment
Crohn's disease is a disease that can lead to inflammation anywhere along the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus
. Compared to a condition known as ulcerative colitis', which can affect only the interior part of the digestive tract; Crohn's Disease can include all the layers of the intestinal wall. The IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease is comprised of two types of diseases-Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Crohn's disease may also be called ileitis or enteritis.
The symptoms of Crohn's disease include:
Stomach pain and cramps
Bloody stool
Mucus in the stool
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Digestive Tract Ulceration
Fever
Cause of Crohn's Disease:
IBD is known to be an idiopathic disease (disease with no known cause) and Crohn's Disease is also an IBD disease. This disease is known to be hereditary and has been particularly seen in people who hail within the Jewish descent. However, most people with IBD do not seem to have family history of the disease in particular. Some doctors believe that given the nature of the IBD being an auto immune disease, the symptoms of Crohn's Disease are nothing but an allergic response.
This means the body's immune system confuses bacteria and food as foreign substances(antigens) and attacks them. Due to this, the white blood cells begin to collect in the intestines, leading to chronic inflammation and bowel injury. Three factors have been singled out, the immune system of the patient, the environment and of course, the genes.
Blood tests are done to find out the extent of IBD, especially with regard to white blood cell counts and red blood cell. The blood tests an also be used to measure electrolyte levels of potassium and magnesium, to find out if these important minerals have been evacuated due to continuous diarrhea.
Since Crohn's Disease is similar to many types of intestinal disorders like ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, it can be tough to diagnose the condition. Ulcerative Colitis can lead to inflammation in the upper layer of the large intestine layer. In Crohn's Disease, however, all layers of the intestine can be affected. You may just find a healthy bowel lost among sections of impaired bowel.
Crohn's Disease Treatment
A variety of medication can be used as treatment to Crohn's Disease The medications that are administerd usually fall into two categories: fast acting drugs to put a halt to the flare-ups and maintenance drugs to continuously avoid the flare-up from happening.
Cortisone or Steroids. Cortisone drugs and steroids together known as corticosteriodsprovide very efficient results. Prednisone is a regular generic name of one of the drugs in this group of medications. It is administered in large dose when the disease is at its worst and then the dosage is lowered once symptoms have been controlled; because they can cause a lot of side-effects.
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Immune System Suppressors. Some of the medications in this immune suppressing groups are 6-mercaptopurine or a related drug, azathioprine. Immunosuppressive agents work by thwarting the immune reaction that leads to inflammation. These drugs do lead to side effects like like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and may reduce a person's resistance to infection.. SO if the Crohn's disease patient is treated with a combination of When of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs, the dose of corticosteroids may ultimately be lowered.
Anti-Inflammation Drugs. Measalamine is one of the drugs that is used to treat patients first to control inflammation. The most commonly used rug is known as . Sulfasalazine. Possible side effects of mesalamine-containing drugs include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, and headache.
Infliximab (Remicade). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave green signal to the Infliximab as the drug for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease that does not react to standard therapies (mesalamine substances, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents) and as a remedial treatment for open, draining fistulas. There is still additional research going with this drug. Remicade may offer to help people with Crohn's disease.
Antibiotics. If there is a bacterial overgrowth due to fistula, stricture etc, antibiotics are used to treat them. The physician may prescribe one or more of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, sulfonamide, cephalosporin, tetracycline, or metronidazole.
Anti-Diarrheal and Fluid Replacements. Diarrhea and crampy abdominal pain are usually treated when the inflammation reduces but in some cases the doctor may give additional treatment in the form of anti-diarrheal and fluid replacements like diphenoxylate, loperamide, and codeine. Patients who are dehydrated due to diarrhea can be administered fluids and electrolytes.
Surgery is also an option for Crohn's Disease. In fact 70 percent of people with Crohn's Disease go for surgery in the first ten years following the diagnosis. The most common type of surgery is resection' where the impaired part of the intestine is surgically removed.
Crohn's Disease Treatment
By: Arunraj V.S.
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