Crohn's Disease Research Paper

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that commonly affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon. Crohn’s disease is difficult to diagnose because symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease can affect men and women of all ages, including children. The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown but researchers believe there are a combination of factors. Those factors include genetics, immune system, smoking, previous infection, and environment. Evidence suggests that genetics, genes that are inherited from ones parents, plays a large role and can increase chances in developing Crohn’s disease. …show more content…
Many people believe Crohn’s disease is affected by diet, buy there is no evidence that proves that. There are certain foods that can irritate the digestive system so it is recommended that a food diary is kept. Some Crohn’s patients have also found that eating six small meals a day instead of three meals can help improve symptoms. Patients that have quit smoking have also found that symptoms are reduced. In most moderate cases of Crohn’s disease, the first treatment is a steroid medication, prednisone tablets or hydrocortisone injections, to reduce the inflammation. Although these medications are often effective they will be reduced when symptoms improve due to side effects of weight gain, swelling of face, increase of infections, and osteoporosis. If symptoms are more severe, a medication called an immunosuppressant is prescribed to suppress the immune system. Crohn’s patients can also use steroid treatments with the immunosuppressant if flare ups occur. Overtime the body might become immune to these treatments and the inflammation can damage parts of the digestive system causing complications that will require surgery to remove the inflamed section. The most common complication with Crohn’s disease, known as a resection, requires surgery to remove the inflamed area of the …show more content…
Recent advances have provided new developments into learning more about the disease. Smoking and the use of antibiotics have been the two biggest links to Crohn’s disease. Studies have shown that smoking and even secondhand smoke not only irritates symptoms in Crohn’s patients it is a major risk factor for developing it as well. The use of antibiotics in children suffering from pneumonia has shown that as adults they were more likely to develop Crohn’s disease. In the last twenty years, a number of new treatments using drug therapy have been approved. These medications target the inflammatory response in the body and are delivered by injection. Doctors are also studying ways to administer and combine drugs. One study showed that combining two drug therapies in more than 500 Crohn’s patients was more effective in putting the disease in remission than using medication on its

Show More

Research Paper on Crohn's Disease