What is Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It can involve any area of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus, but most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon.
Crohn's and a related disease, ulcerative colitis, are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The symptoms of these two illnesses are similar, so it can be difficult to sometimes establish which disease is affecting the patient.
Although Crohn's disease most commonly affects the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine, it may involve any part of the GI tract. In Crohn's disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved, and there can be normal healthy bowel in between patches of diseased bowel.
What causes Crohn's disease?
There are various theories on what causes Crohn’s disease, but a definite cause has not yet been determined by researchers. Some theories are inherited genes, something in the environment, or the immune system. There is also no cure for Crohn’s disease, just treatments to help regulate the immune system and alleviate symptoms.
How common is IBD and who gets IBD?
It is estimated that as many as 1.4 million Americans have IBD, with that number evenly split between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Females and males appear to be affected equally. Crohn's disease may occur in people of all ages, but it is primarily a disease of adolescents and young adults, affecting mainly those between ages 15 and 35.
IBD tends to run in families, and studies have shown that about 20 to 25 percent of patients may have a close relative with either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. IBD also appears most often to be associated in individuals with eastern European ancestry and less often in other ethnic groups. IBD is largely a disease of the developed world and is found principally in the Unites States and Europe. IBD is also reported to be more common in urban areas than in rural areas, and in northern climates than in southern climates.
Source:
“About Crohn’s Disease” http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns
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