Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a condition that causes swelling, or inflammation, in part of your digestive system.

Remission is a stage of Crohn’s when your disease is no longer active.

The costs of medical care for Crohn's disease can stack up during that time, so you should plan and prepare now.

There are five main types of Crohn's disease, each with its own set of symptoms.

Most commonly, people have Crohn's disease in their small bowel, also called your small intestine.

Research has shown that combination birth control pills aren’t kind to your gut. They could raise your risk of Crohn’s.

You can have a healthy pregnancy and delivery even if you have Crohn’s disease.

Crohn's disease is on the rise in people of color, yet it's often overlooked and underreported among minority communities.

Symptoms of Crohn’s vary widely depending on the person and on the part of the GI tract that the disease attacks.

Crohn's can affect your digestive tract in patches. Some areas may be damaged while others are completely healthy.

Fistulas are tunnels that form between two organs or an organ and the surface of your body, due to Crohn’s inflammation.

Blockage in your intestines is a common problem with Crohn’s disease.

 Pain is common with Crohn’s, but there are ways to treat it. Pain management can help control your discomfort from Crohn's.

If you have Crohn’s disease, there's a good chance you often have nagging, sometimes debilitating fatigue.

Up to half of people with Crohn’s also have inflammation in their eyes or other parts of the body.

Doctors don't know why Crohn's symptoms come and go. They know that diet, smoking, and stress can make them worse.

Your Crohn’s disease is ever-present, unfortunately, and so is the possibility of a flare-up. What can you do?

Although there are many theories about what causes Crohn's disease, none of them have been proven.

Scientists haven’t identified all causes of Crohn’s, but they’ve found certain groups of people who are at higher risk.

When the gut microbiome balance is disrupted, it can make you more prone to disease, including Crohn’s disease.

Smoking doesn't cause Crohn's. But smoking can increase your risk of Crohn's, or make it more severe and harder to treat.

If you have AS, you might be slightly more likely to get inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and vice versa.

There isn't a single test that can diagnose Crohn's. To diagnose, your doctor will gather information from many sources.

Your doctor can choose an abdominal X-ray to help them diagnose and keep track of your Crohn’s disease.

You’ll probably see several types of health professionals for your Crohn's. They'll work together to help you manage symptoms.

Crohn's is a lifelong illness, so you'll want someone you can count on for the long haul.

If you have Crohn’s disease, the right medications may keep your condition under control.

The medications used in the step-up and top-down methods are the same. You’ll just get them in a different order.

Medical experts speculate that an overgrowth of bacteria is one of the causes of Crohn’s disease.

It may be hard to hear that Crohn’s can harm your GI tract to the point where you could need treatment at a hospital.

Crohn's disease can be a frustrating cycle of diarrhea, belly cramps, and constipation.

If you have Crohn’s disease, a clinical trial could give you access to a new drug before it’s available to everyone else.

If you have Crohn’s, a doctor may have warned you at some point to avoid NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.

The goals of steroid therapy are to ease symptoms causing your pain and push your Crohn's disease into remission.

Biologics work on your immune system. They target specific proteins in your body that cause inflammation, like from Crohn's.

Medications called interleukin (IL) inhibitors aren’t a cure. But they can lower inflammation and bring you relief from moderate to severe Crohn’s disease symptoms.

Skyrizi is a medicine that improves the body's immune system by improving symptoms in people who do not get enough benefit.

Stem cells are a promising option because they divide to form new, healthy cells. Stem cells might work against Crohn's.

During Crohn’s flares, you may not be able to eat much healthy food. That means your body won’t be getting enough nutrition.

If you’re interested in exploring gut-directed hypnotherapy to manage Crohn’s disease, you’re not alone.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can reduce inflammation. Some experts believe the therapy can reduce inflammation from Crohn’s.Â

Up to three-quarters of people with Crohn’s need surgery at some point, even when they take medicine and eat right.

A strictureplasty for Crohn’s disease is a surgery that doctors can do to widen narrowed sections of your small intestine.

Resection surgery removes the parts of your intestine that Crohn's disease has damaged.

A laparoscopic total abdominal colectomy is an operation that removes the large intestine.

If you plan to have Crohn’s disease surgery, you’ll need to take some steps to make sure the procedure goes well.

Following Crohn’s surgery, you will likely be able to recover well. Here’s what you can expect after the operation.

Crohn’s surgeries carry risks of complications. Major long-term complications aren't common, but you should know the signs.

Depending on the way Crohn’s affects you and your ability to manage it, you may have some challenges.

To treat Crohn’s, your doctor will recommend what meds to take and if you might need surgery. But you play a big role, too.

Foods don’t cause Crohn's disease, but they can make it feel worse. So it’s important to pay attention to what you eat.

If you have Crohn's disease, you probably have found that certain foods trigger your intestinal symptoms, especially when the disease flares.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is a restrictive, grain-free diet plan designed for people with conditions such as Crohn's.

Crohn’s can make it hard for your gut to absorb enough nutrients. Your doctor may recommend enteral nutrition therapy.

Crohn's disease can make it hard to keep your weight healthy and get the nutrients you need. But it's possible.

Crohn’s is a disease that may affect your relationships, including with family, friends, intimate partners, and co-workers.

Crohn's has a big impact on you. Your friends, family, and co-workers might be concerned about you and your condition.

Crohn’s can change the way you feel about your body and intimacy. You can still have an active, satisfying love life.

One thing that experts do know is that Crohn’s disease is not something anyone is to blame for.

Evidence suggests poor mental health has negative effects on your Crohn's disease.

Anxiety is common among the general population, and even more common among people with Crohn’s disease.

Complications of Crohn's disease may or may not be related to the inflammation within the intestine.

Crohn's disease mainly affects the gut, but also has the potential to cause inflammation elsewhere in the body.

Life can be challenging with Crohn's. Besides the disease itself, there are other complications: Â hemorrhoids and anal fissures.

No matter where you have Crohn’s, you can get perianal Crohn’s. This is when the condition causes damage around the anus.

With Crohn’s, you may have a hard time getting nutrients. More than half of people with IBD don’t get enough micronutrients.

With Crohn’s, you might feel tired or lethargic. While these are symptoms of Crohn’s, they might mean you also have anemia.

People with Crohn’s disease may also be at higher risk of liver problems. They can occur at any stage of your illness.

If you have Cohn’s disease, you have a higher risk of arthritis. Experts believe this has to do with your genetics.

If you have Crohn’s disease, you may need to get checked more often for early signs of colon cancer.

You might want extra support to help you manage Crohn’s. There are resources you can use to get information to feel better,

Finding out you have a long-term condition like Crohn's disease can cause a mix of emotions.

As the partner of someone who has a long-term condition like Crohn’s, you’ll see their ups and downs with the disease.

Whether you're newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease or already in treatment, learn how to make the most of your doctor appointment.

Learn about simple, doctor-backed strategies to ease Crohn's cramping, diarrhea, and constipation, plus what to avoid so symptoms don't get worse.

Discover safe, easy-to-digest soluble fiber foods for Crohn’s disease. Learn how to soothe your gut, reduce flare-ups, and build a nutrient-dense diet.

Strictures and Bowel Obstructions: How to Prevent Them and What to Do if You Can't What Are Bowel Obstructions and Strictures? A bowel obstruction is when something blocks your small or large intestine, either fully or in part. A stricture happens when your large intestine narrows. It can slow or block your intestines and can lead to a bowel obstruction. Your intestines carry out the work of moving food and waste through and out of your body. Why Do They Happen? Common causes of bowel obstruction include scar tissue (adhesions), hernias, tumors, colorectal cancer, twisting of the bowel

Learn more from WebMD about this form of inflammatory bowel disease. What causes it, who gets it, how is it treated, and how can you live with it?

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