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Crohn's disease

What is Crohn's disease?

Incidence

Symptoms

Triggers

Management / remedies

References

What is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease (inflammatory bowel disease) is an immune-deficient disease that can cause inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal tract and a wide variety of other symptoms. Sufferers usually have symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea for years before it is diagnosed. They typically have periods of flare-ups and remissions.

Crohn's disease is caused by a combination of environmental, immunological and bacterial factors in genetically susceptible people. (1, 2, 3) It is a chronic inflammatory disorder in which the immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract.

Half of all cases of Crohn's disease occur in a combination of the ileum and large intestine. 30% of cases occur in the ileum, and 20% of cases in the large intestine. Cases affecting the stomach, small intestine, oesophagus and any other parts of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus are rare.

Incidence

In the USA approximately 1 in 600 people are diagnosed with Crohn's disease. In Western Europe, the rate is about 1 in 2,500. Males and females equally affected. Smokers have twice the incidence of the disease. Crohn's disease most commonly first presents in the teens and twenties, with another peak in the fifties to seventies. However, it can first occur at any age. Having a sibling with the disease increases the risk by 30 times.

Symptoms In the gastrointestinal tract
Symptoms outside of the gastrointestinal tract
Triggers/causes/risk factors
Management / remedies

Conventional medicine has no cure for inflammatory bowel disease. However, people afflicted with Crohn's disease have found that lifestyle can have a major affect on its incidence. The most important thing you can do is get out in the sun, get lots of sunlight into your eyes and onto your skin all over your body. As you can see below, a peaceful, happy and healthy lifestyle can moderate the disease. Re-establish a strong and varied symbiosis of microorganisms in your digestive tract. Eat a variety of probiotic foods every day, and in particular, establish a water kefir plant and drink it every day. These foods should preferably be home-made. If you buy them, it is essential that they are alive and not pasteurised or factory-made foods.

References

1. Cho J.H., Brant S.R. Recent insights into the genetics of inflammatory bowel disease. May 2011. Gastroenterology 140 (6): 1704-12.

2. Dessein R., Chamaillard M., Danese S. Innate immunity in Crohn's disease: the reverse side of the medal. September 2008. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 42 (Suppl 3 Pt 1): S144-7.

3. Stefanelli T., Malesci A., Repici A., Vetrano S., Danese S. New insights into inflammatory bowel disease pathophysiology: paving the way for novel therapeutic targets. May 2008. Current drug targets 9 (5): 413-8.

4. Boorom K.F., Smith H., Nimri L. et al. Oh my aching gut: irritable bowel syndrome, Blastocystis, and asymptomatic infection. October 2008. Parasit Vectors 1 (1): 40.