Crohn's disease is caused because of issues in the intestinal tract.
Crohn's disease can cause abdominal pain
HIGHLIGHTS
- Diarrhoea is a common symptom of Crohn's disease
- Smoking is dangerous for people suffering from Crohn's disease
- Living a healthy lifestyle can help in treatment of Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a disease of the digestive tract. It is a chronic and inflammatory disease, which causes pain in the abdomen, diarrhoea and weight loss. Crohn's disease can be treated by introducing some changes in your lifestyle like exercising and consuming healthy diet. Dr Naresh Bansal says that Crohn's disease is basically a problem of the intestinal tract. Right from mouth to anus, Crohn's disease can affect any part of the body. "It affects the small intestines or the joint of small intestines and large intestines. Usually a patient suffering from Crohn's disease will suffer from diarrhoea - which is the most common symptom of the condition," he says.
Symptoms of Crohn's disease
"Other symptoms of Crohn's disease include joint pain and pain in the lower back," adds Dr Naresh who says that Crohn's disease was not that common in India as it is now.
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Treatment
Treatment of Crohn's disease is done with medication in the form of tablets, injections or intravenous innjections. "There are many medicines in the pipeline which are targeting the various pathways which are involved in Crohn's disease," he says.
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Lifestyle habits
Smoking increases or aggravates symptoms of Crohn's disease. People suffering from Crohn's disease should quit smoking.
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"Diet plays a significant role in all intestinal diseases," says Dr Naresh.
"You can bring some modifications in Crohn's disease, but this is dependent on the stage at which the Crohn's disease is. Those suffering from diarrhoea should avoid milk and milk products. They can opt for a soft diet which includes foods like porridge, khichdi or daliya. You can have a diet rich in antioxidants such as green leafy vegetables for treating Crohn's disease," he suggests.
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Other reasons for Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease can be genetically passed as well. In some patients, genetic modifiers are already present. Others get the infection because of genetic interaction with the outside environment. According to Dr Naresh, stress is also a reason for Crohn's disease.
(Dr Naresh Bansal is Senior Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital)
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