What are the symptoms of Crohn's disease?

Written by Chen Rong
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 11, 2024
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Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, primarily affecting the terminal ileum and adjacent colon, but can involve any digestive tract segment from mouth to anus, displaying either segmental or skip distribution. Clinically, it is characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal mass, fistula formation, and intestinal obstruction. It may also present with fever and extraintestinal manifestations, including joint, skin, eye, and oral mucosa damage. This disease tends to recur throughout a person’s life, and severe cases can be prolonged and unhealing with poor prognosis. The onset age is mostly between 15-30 years, but initial attacks can occur at any age. The incidence rate is similar between genders. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom, often seen in the lower right abdomen or around the navel, presenting intermittently as cramp-like pain accompanied by bowel sounds, typically worsening after eating, and relieved by defecation or passing gas. Diarrhea is another common symptom, initially intermittent but can become persistent in later stages of the disease, with stools generally being pasty and containing mucus and pus-blood. If the lower part of the colon or anorectal area is involved, there may be mucus-bloody stools and a sensation of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements. Abdominal masses are often located in the lower right abdomen and around the navel, and fistula formation is a characteristic clinical manifestation of Crohn's disease.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Early symptoms of Crohn's disease

Early symptoms of Crohn's disease include abdominal pain and diarrhea, abdominal masses, and may also be accompanied by fever, anemia, and digestive nutritional disorders, and can affect joints, eyes, skin, and other organs. Some patients may have iritis, clubbed finger arthritis, oral ulcers, and chronic hepatitis. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause, commonly occurring in the ileum and right half of the colon, with a tendency to be prolonged and recurrent, and is not easy to cure completely. Currently, treatment mainly involves medication combined with surgery to prevent complications. It is important to rest adequately and maintain a reasonable diet. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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What is the difference between Crohn's disease and colitis?

Crohn's disease is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease, whose cause is currently unclear but may be related to immune mechanisms. Its main symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and poor appetite. A colonoscopy can reveal longitudinal ulcers on the mucosa, distributed in segments. This disease has signs of lifelong recurrence, and currently, there are no specific effective medications, making treatment very challenging. The lesions can develop throughout the entire digestive tract. Chronic colitis primarily presents symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. A colonoscopy can show intestinal mucosal redness, swelling, and erosion. The condition generally responds well to treatment and is relatively milder compared to others.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Can people with Crohn's disease eat eggs?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, and patients can eat eggs. The principle of the diet is to eat small meals frequently and keep it low in fat, eating more vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and yams. Avoid cold, spicy, and gas-producing foods such as chili peppers, radishes, leeks, and soy products. Crohn's disease can easily affect joints, skin, and other organs, and the course of the disease tends to be recurrent and is not easy to cure completely. The current treatment principle primarily involves medication combined with surgical treatment to prevent complications, with a focus on rest, a high-nutrition, low-fat diet, and correcting electrolyte imbalances.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Can people with Crohn's disease drink yogurt?

Patients with Crohn's disease can drink milk. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory lesion that occurs in the intestines, where the absorption and digestion functions are impaired. Drinking some yogurt appropriately can help the intestinal absorption function and assist in digestion. Due to the impaired absorption function of the intestines, symptoms such as fever and lowered immune function may occur. At this time, patients need to enhance their nutrition. The dietary principle should focus on eating smaller, more frequent meals that are high in nutrition and low in fat, such as lean meats, egg products, meat products, milk, and fish. It is also important to consume more vegetables to supplement vitamins, such as Chinese yam, carrots, and fresh green vegetables, and to ensure plenty of rest.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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Can Crohn's disease patients take tonics?

Crohn's disease is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease that can occur throughout the digestive tract, presenting with mucosal ulcers in a longitudinal and phased distribution. Crohn's disease can flare up in any part of the digestive tract, and currently, there are no highly effective medications to treat it, and the disease can relapse throughout a person's life. There are many supplements available on the market today, and most of them are composed of traditional Chinese medicines, animal proteins, and other substances. Some specific foreign proteins can directly or indirectly activate immune cells, thus exacerbating the immune response. This can potentially worsen the symptoms of the disease, leading to more severe mucosal damage and an overall aggravation of the condition. Therefore, it is not advisable for individuals with Crohn's disease to consume these supplements indiscriminately. It is best to maintain a good diet and lifestyle habits instead.