Crohn's Disease/IBD
Cómo pronunciarlo:Enfermedad de Crohn -
Crohn
AiLa revista Arthritis define la enfermedad de Crohn como:
La enfermedad de Crohn es una afección crónica que causa inflamación en el tracto digestivo, especialmente en el intestino delgado y grueso.
La enfermedad de Crohn es un tipo de enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII) y suele presentarse junto con la colitis ulcerosa, siendo los tipos más comunes de EII. La enfermedad de Crohn se engloba dentro de la artritis autoinmune (AIArthritis) y se caracteriza por síntomas artríticos.
Symptoms & Characteristics
Common in All AiArthritis Diseases
Flares: Periods of worsening symptoms are called flares. A flare can last for hours, days, weeks, or months.
Physical Activity: Condition improves with activity and exercise and worsens with rest.
Comorbidities: When inflammation is left uncontrolled due to lack of proper treatment, comorbidities can develop. 70% of patients with chronic, lifelong disease will develop comorbidities, including dual or triple diagnoses.
Family History:
Autoimmune diseases often run in families, indicating a potential genetic predisposition where that gene can cause disease. Autoinflammatory diseases can occur multiple times in a family, but is based off of genetic mutation. It is not a gene that causes the disease— but a mutation on the gene that can cause the disease which can then be passed on to the next generation.
"Auto" Symptoms
Fatiga: Fatiga o agotamiento severo que puede no aliviarse con cafeína o estimulantes y que puede presentarse incluso después de un largo período de descanso.
Disfunción cognitiva: Niebla mental o periodos de tiempo en los que el pensamiento se nubla y resulta difícil concentrarse.
Síntomas similares a los de la gripe: Sin tener gripe: náuseas, debilidad muscular y malestar general.
Fiebre: Por lo general, el grado es bajo en las enfermedades autoinmunes (con excepción de la artritis idiopática juvenil) y el grado es más alto en las autoinflamatorias (el porcentaje varía mucho según la enfermedad).
Referencia: Estudio sobre los primeros síntomas de la artritis inducida por adyuvante, AiArthritis, 2019.
Inflammatory Arthritis Symptoms
Stiffness: Severe stiffness in one or more joints, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time.
Joint Pain: Episodes of joint pain that may last for hours, days, or even weeks, that can appear and disappear suddenly. Often described as “jumping pain” into different locations.
Typically the joint pain will coincide with one or more “Auto” symptoms and start and stop suddenly - for no apparent reason (which is called a "flare"). Some people will experience all of the above symptoms, others only a few.
If you have any of the arthritis features, and at least one of the “Auto” features, please consult your physician about a referral to a specialist.
Síntomas frecuentemente asociados con Enfermedad de Crohn
- Persistent diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Blood in your stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Urgent need to move bowels
- Delayed growth and development in children
- Eye complications: redness or pain in the eyes, or vision changes
- Skin complications: bumps, sores, or rashes
- Loss of normal menstrual cycle
- Osteoporosis
- Kidney stones
There’s no single test that can confirm a Crohn’s disease diagnosis, so gastroenterologists use a combination of physical exams, blood and stool tests, imaging (like X-rays or MRIs), and a family history of autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease. Colonoscopies and upper endoscopies are key tools used to examine the gastrointestinal tract in detail, allowing doctors to directly visualize inflammation or damage.
Biopsies of the colon or other affected areas of the gastrointestinal tract are often taken during these procedures to provide further confirmation of Crohn’s. These tests, combined with the patient’s symptoms, help to make an accurate diagnosis.
While the ACR and EULAR do not have a direct classification system for diagnosing Crohn’s disease, they do emphasize the importance of ruling out rheumatic conditions and understanding the interconnectedness between autoimmune diseases and gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Envía TU consejo
- Crohn's disease is a young person's condition that lasts a lifetime - most people are diagnosed before they're 30 years old and 20-30% were diagnosed before they were 20.
- People in higher latitudes are more likely to have Crohn's than those who live at lower latitudes
- Crohn’s disease is named after Dr. Burrill Crohn, who, along with his colleagues, first described the condition in 1932. However, references to similar symptoms date back to ancient medical texts, suggesting it has affected humans for centuries.
- The increasing prevalence of Crohn’s disease in developed countries has led to research into the role of diet and lifestyle in triggering the condition, particularly the “Western diet,” which is high in processed foods and low in fiber.
- World Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day - May 20th
- Autoimmune Awareness Month - March
- World IBD Day - May 19th
- Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month - September
- Pain Awareness Month - September
- Chronic Disease Awareness Day - July 10th
- Invisible Disabilities Week - 3rd full week of October
- IBD Awareness Month (Canada) - November
- Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week - December 1-7
In an effort to ensure this page has the most accurate and up-to-date information, this page is currently awaiting medical review. Some information is subject to change.
Page Last Updated: 10/25/2024