Crohn’s disease is a chronic disorder that leads to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, or the digestive tract. Also, known as ulcerative colitis, regional enteritis, granulomatous enteritis, or terminal ileitis, this disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. However, it largely affects the ileum – the lower part of the small intestine.
The swelling normally outspreads deep into the lining of the affected organ, and it can cause pain as well as make the intestines empty, often leading to diarrhea. Considering the fact that the symptoms of Crohn’s-disease are like other intestinal complications such as ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, the disease can be difficult to diagnose.
Ulcerative colitis, for instance, results in inflammation and ulcers in the upper layer of the large intestine’s lining. Conversely, in Crohn’s disease, all layers of the intestine could be affected, and normal healthy bowel may be found between parts of the diseased bowel. While the disease can affect people of all age groups, it is more often found in people aged between 15 and 30 years.
Several factors, such as age and compromised immune system, have been found to play an integral in the development of Crohn’-disease. That said, let’s explore 7 of the common factors that promote the development of this disease.
1. Age
As mentioned in the introduction, Crohn’s disease can affect people of all ages, both men and women. However, most people newly diagnosed with the disease are aged between 15 and 30 years. It is also worth noting that the disease is sometimes newly diagnosed in individual’s age between 60 and 80 years.
2. Family History
Some people have a higher risk of developing Crohn’s-disease than others. According to research findings, if you have sibling or parent with Crohn’s-disease, you have higher chances of developing the disease. In fact, about 1.5 percent of people affected by the disease have a close relative who has or had it.
If you have an identical twin with the illness, then you have a 70 percent chance of developing it too. Researchers continue to examine the relationship between genes and Crohn’s disease.
3. Ethnicity
Crohn’s disease can occur in people from all ethnic backgrounds. However, Caucasian and people of Eastern European Jewish descent are more vulnerable. In fact, in South Africa, Europe, and the United States, Crohn’s-disease is up to 4 times more common among Jewish natives compared to other ethnic groups. It is worth noting, however, that the incidence of Crohn’s is increasing among Africans living in the United Kingdom and North America.
4. Cigarette Smoking
Various studies have revealed that people who smoke are more prone to Crohn’s disease compared to non-smokers. Research also shows that smoking raises the severity of the disease as well as the risk of having surgery. Moreover, the response to medications prescribed to treat the illness is poorer among those who smoke.
Namely, smokers normally need higher doses of the medication for longer periods to attain disease remission compared to non-smokers. Fortunately, smoking is arguably the most controllable cause of Crohn’s disease. So, if you smoke, it is imperative that you stop to reduce your risk of developing this chronic illness.
5. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Medications
Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can result in inflammation that could trigger or aggravate Crohn’s disease. NSAIDs include diclofenac sodium, naproxen sodium, and ibuprofen. Studies have shown that those flares can develop within a week of taking the medications regularly.
6. Environmental Factors
Where you live can also determine your risk of Crohn’s-disease. If you live in an urban setting or in an industrialized region, for instance, you have a high risk of developing this chronic disease. Foreign substances in the environment may also contribute to inflammation, or they could stimulate the body’s defenses to generate inflammation that continues uncontrollably.
Your food choices may also influence the occurrence of the disease. Refined foods and diet rich in fat are especially notorious for causing Crohn’s disease.
7. Immune System
Having an abnormal immune system is another common factor that promotes the development Crohn’s-disease. The immune system acts as the body’s defense against bacterial and viral infections. Nonetheless, 80 percent of the human immune system is in the gut.
The gut is, in turn, home to various types of good and bad bacteria. A healthy person’s immune system recognizes the various bacteria, allowing the good bacteria to thrive while destroying the unhealthy ones. However, when anything disrupts the immune system, it fails to identify the bacteria.
It instead sends a special protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which kills all the bacteria, including the good ones. Afterwards, white blood cells accumulate in the lining of the gut and subsequently causes inflammation, ulcerations, as well as bowel injury.
Crohn’s disease can be a devastating illness. Nonetheless, with medical treatment and other measures used to alleviate the discomfort of flares, many people learn to cope with the illness. Treatment for the condition may include drugs, surgery, nutrition, or a combination of them all. Treatment controls inflammation, relieves symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and diarrhea, and controls nutritional deficiencies. Virtually everyone with this chronic illness can live a normal life.
