Symptoms of Crohn's Disease

The symptoms of Crohn's disease can range from mild to severe, and there may be long periods where the condition is inactive. However, flare-ups are always likely to occur; these may develop gradually or come on suddenly, without warning.

Crohn's disease usually begins with inflammation, most often in the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) or in the colon. In contrast to ulcerative colitis, where inflammation occurs uniformly throughout an affected area, Crohn's disease can develop in several places at once, with healthy tissue in between. In time, large ulcers (raw areas) may develop in the inflamed areas, extending deep into the intestinal wall.

The first symptoms are often bouts of abdominal pain, along with loss of appetite and weight, diarrhoea and a general feeling of illness.

The ulceration and inflammation causes the walls the bowel to swell and thicken with scar tissue. This affects the normal movement of the intestinal tract contents through the digestive tract, leading to pain and cramping. This can vary from mild discomfort to severe pain with nausea and vomiting. This abdominal pain can affect both the appetite and the ability of the sufferer to digest and absorb food.

The inflammation also causes the affected cells to secrete large amounts of water and salt, which cannot be absorbed by the colon. This, along with the impaired intestinal contractions leads to loose stools or diarrhoea. Although this may be fairly mild, in severe cases sufferers may experience over 20 bowel movements a day, affecting sleep and normal day-to-day activities.

Food moving through the digestive tract may cause inflamed tissue to bleed, which will be noticeable by the patient as bright red blood in the toilet bowl or darker blood mixed with their stool. Patients often feel generally tired and unwell, which is usually caused by anaemia, either because the unhealthy intestine wall cannot absorb iron efficiently, or because of loss of blood from the inflamed tissues.

Some people may develop curvature of their finger nails and a rounded enlargement of the terminal section of each finger - this is known as 'clubbing'.

Summary of Symptoms

• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue
• Pain and cramping in the abdomen
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Feeling generally unwell
• Blood in the stools
• A feeling of fullness and pain in the lower part of the abdomen
• Fever