News and Articles
10.18.09
by Lucia M. Gregorio, M.D.
Crohn's Disease is a
chronic condition that causes inflammation in the digestive
tract. Although it can occur anywhere in the tract, it most
commonly occurs in the ileum, which is in the lower part of the
small intestine. The most common symptoms of the illness are
abdominal pain and diarrhea. Some patients will also notice
weight loss, arthritis, skin rashes, and inflammation of the
eye. Physicians use several methods to diagnose the illness,
including blood tests, X-rays, and colonoscopies. There are
several methods patients can try to manage the symptoms of Crohn's
Disease. The disease affects men and women equally. It
can happen at any age, but people between 20 and 30 years old are
diagnosed most frequently.
Patients with Crohn's
Disease typically will experience periods of relapse followed by
periods of remission (reduce inflammation) lasting months to
years. Because there is no cure for Crohn's Disease, the
goals of treatment are to induce remissions, maintain remissions,
minimize side effects of treatment and improve the quality of
life. For more information, please call ESTRELLA INTERNAL
MEDICINE and GERIATRICS CLINIC at 623-873-1500. See our
Location page on this web site for our address and
directions.