Crohn’s Disease, Inflammation In the Gastrointestinal

Crohn’s Disease causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract that can cause abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and malnutrition. The inflammation caused by the disease often spreads deep into the tissue lining the gut are affected.
Crohn’s disease can be painful and can sometimes cause life-threatening complications. There is no known medical cure for Crohn disease cope. Therapy can greatly reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and help the long-term recovery.
Cause
The exact cause of Crohn disease is still unknown. The researchers believe that heredity and destruction of the immune system to cause the development of Crohn disease. It is possible that a virus or bacterium may cause Crohn disease. When the immune system tries against microorganisms, inflamed digestive tract. Mutations in a gene called NOD2 common in people with Crohn disease.
Symptom
Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease can range from mild to severe and can develop gradually or come on suddenly without warning. When the disease is active, the signs and symptoms include:
1. Diarrhea
Inflammation that occurs in Crohn disease causes cells in the intestine removing large amounts of water and salt. Because intestines are not able to fully absorb the excess fluid, there was diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common symptom of Crohn’s disease.
2. Abdominal pain and cramping
Inflammation and ulcers can cause the lining of the intestine to swell and eventually thicken with scar tissue. It affects the normal gastrointestinal movement and can cause pain or cramping. Crohn disease usually causes mild intestinal discomfort. Pain can be severe, causing nausea and vomiting.
3. Blood in stool
The movement of food through the digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue bleeding or intestinal bleeding by itself.
4. Ulcer
Crohn’s disease can cause small cuts in the surface of the intestine and eventually into large ulcers that penetrate deep into the intestinal wall. Sometimes also found ulcers in the mouth like canker sores.
5. Decreased appetite and weight loss.
Abdominal pain, cramping and the inflammatory reaction in the intestinal wall can affect appetite and ability to digest food.
Treatments and drugs
The purpose of medical treatment is to reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms, also for long-term treatment. Treatment of Crohn’s disease usually involves drug therapy or sometimes surgery if needed. Doctors use several categories of drugs to control inflammation in different ways. Drugs that work well for some people might not work for someone else, so it may take a while to find an effective drug.
1. Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
These drugs are not always effective for treating Crohn’s disease, but enough to help treat a disease of the colon. Side effects: nausea, vomiting, and headache.
2. Mesalamine (Asacol, Rowasa)
These drugs tend to have fewer side effects than sulfasalazine, but can cause nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea and headache. These drugs are generally ineffective for diseases involving the small intestine.
3. Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids may help reduce inflammation anywhere in the body, but has many side effects, namely facial swelling, sweating, insomnia and hyperactivity. Long-term use of corticosteroids in children can cause stunted growth.
Doctors use corticosteroids only if the patient has the disease but who are not responding to other treatments. Corticosteroids only for short term use (3-4 months).
4. Suppressing the immune system or immunosuppressants
These drugs not only reduce inflammation but also strengthens the immune system.
Immunosuppressant drugs include:
- Azathioprine (Imuran) and mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
This is the most widely used immunosuppressants for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Although it could take two to four months to start working, these drugs help reduce the signs and symptoms of disease in general.
- Infliximab (Remicade)
The drug is for adults and children with symptoms of Crohn’s disease who were treated with medication is ineffective or can not tolerate another other treatment. It works by neutralizing a protein produced by the immune system known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Infliximab TNF in the bloodstream to find and remove it before it causes inflammation of the intestinal tract.
- Adalimumab (Humira)
Adalimumab works similarly to infliximab by blocking TNF with the rate for people with symptoms of Crohn’s disease was malignant. These drugs are prescribed to people who have not been helped by infliximab or other treatments. Adalimumab is given by injection under the skin every week.
- Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, inhibits TNF certolizumab pegol work. Certolizumab pegol is prescribed for people with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease who have not been helped by other treatments.
5. Methotrexate (Rheumatrex)
This medicine is used to treat arthritis, cancer, psoriasis and arthritis, is sometimes used for people with Crohn’s disease who do not respond well to other drugs. He started to work after eight weeks or more. Side effects include: nausea, fatigue and diarrhea, and pneumonia.
6. Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
This medicine is used to help cure Crohn’s disease, is usually reserved for people who do not respond well to other drugs. Although effective, cyclosporine has potential serious side effects, such as kidney and liver damage, high blood pressure, seizures, fatal infections and an increased risk of lymphoma.
7. Natalizumab (Tysabri)
This drug works by blocking certain immune cells to bind to other cells in the lining of the intestine. Blocking these molecules is thought to reduce inflammation chronic. Natalizumab is approved for people with Crohn’s disease is severe, but with evidence of inflammation and did not respond to other conventional therapies.
8. Antibiotics
Metronidazole (Flagyl) is the most common antibiotics used for Crohn’s disease, metronidazole can sometimes cause serious side effects, including numbness and tingling in hands and feet, and occasionally, muscle pain or weakness. If these effects occur, discontinue treatment and contact your doctor. Avoid alcohol while taking this medication. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) is more preferable to metronidazole, but can improve symptoms. Side effects may cause nausea, vomiting, headache and, tendon problems.
Operation
If the food and drug therapy does not relieve the signs and symptoms, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove part of the digestive tract is damaged. The general procedure for Crohn’s is strictureplasty, which is expanding segment of bowel that has become too narrow.
Nevertheless, the benefits of the surgery is only temporary. This disease often reappears near the network is connected or elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Nearly 3 out of 4 people with Crohn’s disease eventually require several operations.