Also called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or terminal ileitis, Crohn's is a chronic and very serious disease that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and is evident in the transmural inflammation of the intestines (affects the entire wall of the bowel involved) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with other areas of normal lining in between). Primarily, Crohns Disease causes ulceration in the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It relates closely to ulcerative colitis which is another chronic inflammatory condition that only involves the colon.
Crohn's disease tends to be genetic and is more common in relatives, particularly siblings of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Although Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness, many people diagnosed with Crohn’s continue to lead active, productive lives. In fact, there are more than 2,000,000 Americans with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis combined. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and have no known medical cure. Individuals with IBD experience episodes between periods of inactivity (remission) and activity (flare ups).
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