Gastroenterologists are medical specialists. They know a lot of
technical terms unfamiliar to the average person.
When someone has
a disease, they want to know as much as possible. Therefore, it's important
for a doctor to be able to explain things simply.
You've diagnosed
a patient with Crohn's disease.
Read the following information. Use
it to answer the questions at the end. Make your answers friendly and conversational,
and put them in your own words. Also, they should be brief and easy to understand.
Crohn's
disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. It mainly causes
ulcers in the intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere between
the mouth and the anus. It tends to be a chronic condition, with periods of
remission and exacerbation.
The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown.
Some scientists suspect infection by certain bacteria might be the cause.
It's not contagious, so you don't catch it from others. It is, however, more
common in relatives of people with the disease.
Crohn's disease is
believed to be related to abnormalities in how the body responds to bowel
contents. For most people, the body's immune system does not respond to food,
bacteria and other substances in the intestines.
With those infected
with Crohn's disease, however, their body's immune system does respond. This
causes inflammation, bowel injury and ulcerations.
One symptom is right-sided
abdominal pain. Diarrhea is also common. Intestinal ulcerations may result
in bleeding, causing bloody diarrhea. Other irritations in the anal area may
also be evident.
Patients with mild symptoms might not need treatment.
Patients whose disease is in remission may also not need treatment. When the
disease is active, resulting in abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea and rectal
bleeding, medications are used to bring the active disease into remission.
There
are also medications for suppressing the immune system. In advanced cases,
surgery may be required. Patients can make changes to their diet to help control
the disease, such as reducing fiber intake and taking supplements.