8 Signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease you should be aware of

Crohn's disease, or colitis, is more difficult to diagnose than other digestive problems. The reason is, this intestinal inflammation can cause different symptoms for each person, depending on which part of the tract or digestive tissue is being attacked. For that, find out more about the following symptoms of Crohn's disease.

Various signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease that you should watch out for

Crohn's disease is an inflammation of the small intestine and colon. The symptoms of Crohn's disease vary from person to person, as can their severity. Some people report experiencing only mild symptoms, while others reveal the disease can be severely debilitating and impede activity.

Without treatment, inflammation can spread to other tissues in the digestive tract, causing complications, even death in a handful of cases.

Reporting from Self, Jessica Philpott, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, explained that there are some common symptoms of Crohn's disease, such as:

1. Diarrhea

Everyone must have had diarrhea. However, diarrhea due to Crohn's disease will feel worse. People with Crohn's disease can experience diarrhea for days to months. If you have severe diarrhea, it is likely that inflammation is on the right side of the colon.

Crohn's disease causes the muscles of the digestive tract to contract excessively, causing muscle cramps. As a result, food that enters the body will be digested quickly and end up in watery stools.

2. Bloody stool

Another common symptom of Chron's disease is bloody stool because intestinal inflammation will cause the intestinal wall to hurt. Gradually, these sores form ulcers (boils) and scar tissue that can bleed out.

This condition indicates that inflammation occurs in the large intestine, rectum, or the left side of the small intestine.

3. Abdominal pain or cramps that feel great

In addition to diarrhea, people with Crohn's disease who have symptoms of bloody stool usually have difficulty passing stools. This condition can cause pain, cramps and bloating.

This one symptom is especially felt in people who also experience narrowing of the intestinal wall (usu strictures) due to scar tissue. Abdominal pain that feels great and is accompanied by constipation tends to be more common in people who have inflammation of the small intestine.

4. Fever and fatigue

Just like inflammation in other parts of the body, an inflamed digestive tract due to Crohn's disease can also cause fever symptoms. A fever is a sign that your immune system is fighting the threat of invading bacteria and aggravating the inflammation.

In addition, the symptoms of Crohn's disease can also leave your body dehydrated, exhausted, and deficient in nutrients. This is because diarrhea and fever make the body dehydrated, while the inflamed gastrointestinal tract is also unable to properly absorb nutrients from food.

It can also make it difficult for a person to sleep well and be prone to anemia, which can exacerbate fatigue.

5. Mouth sores and weight loss drastically

Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract can cause sores in the mouth which eventually become ulcers.

In addition to mouth sores, digestive disorders due to Crohn's disease make sufferers lose their appetite. The decreased appetite is caused by anxiety and fear. They feel that the food they eat will cause pain in their mouth or stomach or make them spend too long in the bathroom; be it diarrhea or constipation.

6. Pain in the buttocks

Ulcer ulcers that are formed as a result of injury from inflammation of the intestinal wall over time will form a fistula. A fistula is an abnormal tube that forms between two organs as a result of the development of an injury.

Usually a fistula will appear between the intestines and the skin or the intestines with other organs. It most commonly appears around the anal area, so people with Crohn's disease often complain of pain in their buttocks.

7. Inflammation of the skin, eyes and joints

Inflammation also develops and causes conjunctivitis (red eyes) or skin problems such as erythema nodosum (large, painful bumps that often appear on the legs). This is a rare symptom of Crohn's disease and indicates that the inflammation is very severe.

8. Skin feels itchy

Inflammation due to Crohn's disease can block the ducts that carry bile and digestive juices from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. This condition usually occurs in people who have the disease Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) at the same time with Crohn's disease. This condition can cause the skin to feel very itchy.

Until now, there is no cure available to treat Crohn's disease. However, lifestyle changes, especially diet and some medications can reduce the severity of the symptoms.