Crohn’s disease and colitis are both illnesses with very serious inflammation that affects a person’s bowels.
Crohn’s
Named for its discoverer, the American gastroenterologist Burrill B. Crohn, who described the disease in 1932, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Crohn’s could start from the mouth, throat, stomach, go down to the gut and anus. The most common form affects the lower parts of the small intestine and large intestine.
It is an illness with a very serious inflammation that affects a person’s bowels. This could start from the mouth, throat, stomach, go down to the gut and anus. But the most common form of this disease affects the lower parts of the small intestine and large intestine. The effects look like what would happen during an allergic reaction, but the bowels are mostly affected. Unlike an allergy attack, this does not go away quickly but can last for a long time. It may even last for the rest of a patient’s life.
Crohn’s origin is still not completely known. There are several theories proposed. Most of the medical world think that it happens because of the patient’s immune system which acts abnormally. The immune system defends the body against microbial infection and cancerous cells. So, the current treatment given in western medicine involves inhibiting the operation of the immune system – with severe “side effects”.
A new medical theory called the “Bacterial Penetration Cycle” brings hope to Crohn’s patients. It states that the root cause is abnormal bacteria that can stick to the intestines causing this illness. The immune system performs its normal operation to defend the body from this bacteria flora. These abnormal bacteria enter the body through the food we eat. So, Crohn patients need to detect which food carries these germs info their body – and avoid it. You can do that by following the “Crohn Remission” booklet.
Colitis
The ending “tis” is the term in medicine for inflammation. The term “colitis” is a general term for a medical condition with inflammation of the colon. The condition can be caused by germ infection, reaction to toxic substances, or the food that was eaten. Colitis mostly affects parts of the large intestine or colon.
There are several types of colitis. Classifying it is depending on the cause and severity of the condition. Some of these are:
- Fulminant colitis – also called toxic colitis happens when the colon loses its normal function to remove and pass on the feces to the rectum. The body wastes practically get trapped and toxins from it build-up to dangerous levels. The toxic effects worsen the inflammation happening in the bowels.
- Ischemic colitis – happens when the necessary flow of blood to and from the colon gets impeded and slows down. The colon effectively gets suffocated gradually. This harms and weakens bowel tissues.
- Ulcerative colitis – ulcers formed during other illnesses or injury (like Crohn’s) can become very serious and worsen the inflammation within the intestines.
- Perforation (puncture or rupture) of the bowel – can be caused by strong physical force on the abdomen or tummy area. This can also be an advanced stage of an existing illness like Crohn’s. The bowel walls weaken and even a slight injury to this area will make it rupture. This creates a dangerous emergency.
- Infectious colitis – from bad microbial growth invading tissues and doing damage and inflammation.
