Digestion is a process in our bodies that most of us take for granted — we eat our food, and then let the body do it’s work. But if the digestive tract isn’t as healthy as it should be, it could cause a number of issues. One condition pertaining to the digestive tract, is Crohn’s disease. And this week being marked as awareness week for Crohn’s, here is all you need to know about it.
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is a long-term condition in which the digestive tract becomes swollen and inflamed. The digestive tract is the long, hollow tube from the mouth to the anus, comprising the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. While Crohn’s disease can affect in part of the digestive tract, it is most often the small and large intestine that are affected. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two common conditions that fall under the category of inflammatory bowel disease.
Crohn’s disease is named after Burrill B. Crohn, an American gastroenterologist who first described the condition in 1932, along with his colleagues, Leon Ginzburg and Gordon D. Oppenheimer.
Types of Crohn’s disease
The type of Crohn’s disease depends on which part of the digestive system is affected. In ileocolitis, the most common form, the end or lower part of the small intestine and part of the large intestine are affected. Ileitis affects only the ileum or small intestine, while colitis affects only the large intestine (colon). Gastroduodenal is when the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum) are affected. In jejunitis, the upper half of the small intestine (jejunum) is affected, while in perianal disease, there is inflammation around the anus.
Why does it occur?
The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is not fully understood as yet, but researchers believe several factors may play a role in its development. It is thought that the disease may be linked to the immune system: a normal immune system reaction triggers inflammation that eventually goes away, but in atypical reaction, bacteria that is normally found in the gut may be attacked too, and the inflammation from this immune response may not go away.
Crohn’s disease can affect people at any age. However, it is commonly diagnosed in people during their late teens to early thirties. Genes may also play a part: having certain genes could predispose people to getting Crohn’s. As inflammatory bowel disease runs in families, those with a relative that have the disease have a higher risk. Smoking is another risk factor for Crohn’s disease.
Signs and symptoms
Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease include: frequent diarrhoea, stomach pain and cramps, blood in the stool, loss of appetite and weight, a feeling of incomplete bowel movements, constipation, low energy and fatigue, delayed growth in children. Other symptoms include mouth sores, skin rashes or bumps, joint or muscle pain and sore eyes.
Symptoms may be mild or severe, and they can come and go. A flare-up can last from a few days to several months.
Crohn’s disease can sometimes cause complications. These may include: anal fissures, or small tears in the lining of the anus causing pain and bleeding during bowel movements; fistulas, which are an abnormal connection or channel between body parts that should not be there, and can commonly develop in the anal region and strictures, which occur when, over time, parts of the bowel can become scarred and narrowed. Malnutrition and anaemia are other complications that can arise from the disease.
Diagnosis and treatment
There is no single test to diagnose Crohn’s disease. A doctor may perform a full physical exam and take a detailed medical and family history. Lab tests may include blood tests and stool studies. Imaging may include CT scans and MRI scans. An endoscopy may also be recommended. This involves inserting a thin tube with a light and a camera to look at the inflamed areas. This could be: a colonoscopy to look at the colon (large intestine) and end of the ileum (small intestine) or an upper endoscopy to look at the GI tract from the top down. A biopsy may also be performed.
There is no cure for Crohn’s disease. However, a variety of therapies are available to help patients. The goals of treatment are to reduce inflammation, manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Treatment may include medications such as corticosteroids, generally used for short-term periods to help reduce inflammation, anti-inflammatory medication, immunomodulator’s that alter the body’s immune system, biologics that target the proteins made by the immune system, as well as antibiotics, anti-diarrhoea medication and pain relief medicines.
Another treatment option is nutrition therapy, which may involve a special diet given through a feeding tube. Certain dietary changes may also be recommended.
Some Crohn’s patients may also require surgery. While the surgery will not cure Crohn’s it may relieve symptoms and help treat complications. Surgery may involve removing damaged portions of the intestine and re-connecting healthy portions. It may also involve treating fistulas, abscesses, perforations or other complications.
The Indian scenario
Traditionally, Crohn’s disease has been associated with more developed parts of the world and with those living in urban areas. A December 2023 research paper published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, by Rupa Banerjee et al., noted that “increasing urbanisation has been implicated for the rising IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) cases despite very limited data in the rural setting.” It aimed aimed to assess the relative proportion of IBD and other intestinal diseases among symptomatic patients from rural and urban India. Of over 30,835 patients in the study, results found that IBD accounted for more than 5% of patients presenting with lower GI symptoms. This rate was higher than that of infectious colitis. It also found that proportion of IBD cases was not different between the rural and urban populations. “These data appear to indicate the changing disease prevalence patterns in India that require further research,” it noted.
Published – December 01, 2025 07:09 pm IST
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