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Approximately one million Americans are living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic conditions characterized by inflamed intestines. Crohn’s disease, one of the main types of IBD, includes inflammation of the entire digestive tract, resulting in abdominal cramps and diarrhea. “Crohn’s disease can severely impact a person’s quality of life,” says Tamer Atassi, MD, a gastroenterologist with Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. “Although this condition is incurable, the right therapies can help control it and even put it in remission.”

What we do know
Although no one knows for sure what causes Crohn’s disease, we do know that family history is a risk factor. According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, if a person has a relative with the disease, their risk of developing Crohn’s disease is about 10 times higher than those without a family history. They are 30 times more likely to develop the disease if the relative is a sibling. Although the disease can occur at any age, it is most often diagnosed in young adults between the ages of 15 and 35.

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease vary by individual. Because it’s a chronic condition, patients can have episodes where symptoms flare up or go into remission. Common symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Persistent diarrhea
• Fever
• Rectal bleeding
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Finding relief in diagnosis
If a doctor suspects Crohn’s disease, he or she will perform a series of tests to confirm a diagnosis.

Colonoscopy allows doctors to examine the large bowel and a portion of the small bowel. By using a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera attached, doctors can also biopsy a tissue sample, which many times will confirm a diagnosis.

All adults should be screened for colon cancer, by having a colonoscopy, when they reach age 50. However, because Crohn’s disease is a risk factor for colon cancer, patients with this condition should receive their first screening10 years after diagnosis and every two years thereafter. For most patients, that means first getting screened in their late 20s or early 30s.

Capsule endoscopy is an examination of the entire small bowel. “In this procedure, patients swallow a tiny camera that takes pictures of their small bowel,” Dr. Atassi says. “Once you swallow this camera, it captures about 8,000 images that your physician will thoroughly review for irregularities.”

Once a diagnosis is confirmed, the goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation and heal the intestines. Several types of medication are available, including anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, antibiotics and more. “Surgery sometimes is necessary when there is an obstruction in the bowel,” Dr. Atassi says. “We do this on a case by case basis because we want to preserve as much of the bowel as possible.”

For patients with Crohn’s disease, living a normal life is their main objective. At Adventist Midwest Health, specialists work together with patients to achieve those goals.

For more information, or to find a physician, call us at 866-533-7968.