Helping Gen Y Understand Crohn’s Disease and Its Symptoms
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Living with a chronic disease like Crohn’s can pose new challenges to a person’s everyday life. But with communication, understanding, and compromise, many of these challenges can be handled successfully by both you and the people whose lives you touch.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that typically develops in patients between the ages of 15 and 35 and in a smaller group of patients between the ages of 50 and 70. Approximately 500,000 Americans are affected by Crohn’s disease, with men and women being affected equally. Crohn's and a related disease, ulcerative colitis, are the two main disease categories that belong to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
What Causes it?
The cause of Crohn’s disease continues to be investigated, with researchers examining several factors, including the immune system, viral or bacterial infections, and genetic predisposition, all of which appear to contribute to this disease in some way. A person with an affected relative is 10 times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease than is the general population and 30 times more likely if that relative is a brother or sister.
What are the Symptoms?
The symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary depending on the age of onset and the part of the intestinal tract affected. The most common symptoms reported by people with Crohn’s include abdominal pain and tenderness, frequent or severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. Other symptoms may include fatigue, fistulas, and sores around the anal area. A new survey of people with Crohn’s disease, Voices of Crohn’s, revealed that 90% reported diarrhea, 85% reported abdominal pain, and 84% reported sudden urges for bowel movements as the highly bothersome symptoms of Crohn’s disease within the last 12 months.
Can it be Cured?
Currently, there is no cure for Crohn’s disease. The goals of treatment are to induce remission, heal mucosa, and help to alleviate symptoms as much as possible. Although considerable progress has been made in IBD research, investigators still do not know what causes Crohn’s disease.
Facts about Crohn’s and Generation Y
According to a sub-analysis of the Voices of Crohn’s survey, 60% of adults with Crohn’s in Generation Y (ages 18 to 27) are frustrated with not being able to eat what they want. Realizing there may be limitations to your diet, your main goal should be to have a healthy and well-balanced diet. Because you may not absorb all the calories you consume, you should follow a healthy diet high in calories for optimal growth. Your diet must also provide enough calcium, a nutrient required for strong bones. If enough calories are not being eaten, you may be asked to take additional nutritional supplements to get those calories.
Furthermore, according to the Voices of Crohn’s survey, almost one-third of adults with Crohn’s in Generation Y feel that Crohn’s disease limits their participation in physical activities. You can play sports if you feel well enough and if your doctor permits it. On days when you do not feel well, you should not feel guilty about staying home until you feel better. With increased awareness, friends, family, and employers may be a valuable support system. Make sure you take your medicine, rest, and eat healthfully so you can do your part to make yourself feel better.
Emotional Factors
Being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease can negatively impact a patient’s health-related quality of life, including physical and emotional well-being, social interaction, and self-esteem. According to the Voices of Crohn’s survey, 50% of patients report that Crohn’s disease has a significant impact on their emotional well-being. Some patients may react to their diagnosis and treatment with anxiety, depression, denial of chronic disease, or need for dependence. When these emotional responses interfere with daily life, it is important that patients attempt to improve their methods of coping with the condition. Patients might find comfort in dealing with their psychological responses individually, with family or friends, with their physician, or with a mental health counselor.
Living a Comfortable and Fulfilling Life with Crohn’s Disease
Taking control of your Crohn’s can help you get well. Pay attention to your symptoms, and report them to your nurse and your doctor. Do your best to take all your medicine, eat well, and believe you will get well. Your friends, family, coworkers, and healthcare professional will be better able to understand and help if they know more about Crohn’s, so make sure to communicate with them about the disease and the elements of the disease that may affect you. According to the Voices of Crohn’s survey, only 20% of people with Crohn’s felt that their friends were well-informed about Crohn’s disease. It may help to tell friends about your feelings and symptoms so they can understand what you are going through and be supportive.
The survey also revealed that approximately 1 out of 5 Crohn’s patients may avoid intimate situations or social engagements and have trouble maintaining relationships with their friends and family due to the debilitating effects of the disease. Many patients surveyed reported that their Crohn’s disease limited their ability to enroll in higher education, make or keep social engagements, and plan their work/school schedule.
Communication
Since there is no cure for Crohn’s disease, and the perception among those surveyed is that awareness is limited among physicians, families, friends, and co-workers, providing more information about the disease will encourage those with symptoms to speak to their physician about treatment. With physician care and the proper treatment, people with Crohn’s may be able to live more comfortable and fulfilling lives.
Additional Links/Resources
Crohn’s Resource
Crohn’s Resource features tips, topics, and general information about Crohn’s disease, including the latest news about Crohn’s disease, clinical trial information, and a glossary of terms. Crohn’s Resource can be accessed online at www.crohnsresource.com.
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America can be accessed online at www.ccfa.org.
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases
The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides government funding for digestive disease research. The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases can be accessed online at niddk.nih.gov.