What clinical manifestation would you anticipate to find on a patient with Crohns disease?

Crohn’s disease can affect each patient a little differently. We are here to help guide you through the most common signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease. The symptoms you or your loved one may experience depends on which part of the GI tract is affected.

Crohn’s is a chronic disease, which means patients will likely experience periods when symptoms are active, known as flares, followed by periods of remission when you may not notice any symptoms at all.

While it is important to recognize the signs of Crohn’s disease, only a doctor can confirm a diagnosis. If you suspect you may have  inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), please schedule an appointment with your doctor to work toward a diagnosis and treatment plan.

GI Tract Inflammation

Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the GI tract, from your mouth to your anus. While symptoms vary from patient to patient, there are some common symptoms of inflammation of the GI tract caused by Crohn’s disease.

• Persistent diarrhea

• Rectal bleeding

• Urgent need to move bowels

• Abdominal cramps and pain

• Sensation of incomplete bowel evacuation

• Constipation, which can lead to bowel obstruction

Crohn’s Disease Complications

While Crohn’s disease is located in the GI tract, it can affect your overall health and cause more serious medical issues.

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

• Low energy and fatigue

• Delayed growth and development in children

In more severe cases, Crohn’s disease can lead to serious complications.

• Fissures are tears in the lining of the anus, which can cause pain and bleeding especially during bowel movements.

• A fistula, caused by inflammation, is an abnormal channel that forms between one part of the intestine and another, or between the intestine and the bladder, vagina, or skin. Fistulas are most common in the anal area and require immediate medical attention.

• A stricture is a narrowing of the intestine as a result of chronic inflammation.

Symptoms Beyond the Intestine

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can cause systemic symptoms outside the GI tract that affect your overall health and your quality of life.

• Redness or pain in the eyes, or vision changes

• Mouth sores

• Swollen and painful joints

• Skin complications, such as bumps, sores, or rashes

• Fever

• Loss of appetite

• Weight Loss

• Fatigue

• Night sweats

• Loss of normal menstrual cycle

• Osteoporosis

• Kidney stones

• Rare liver complications, including primary sclerosing cholangitis and cirrhosis
   

Crohn’s Disease Symptoms Include:

• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Persistent diarrhea
• Fever
• Rectal bleeding

• Constipation
• Urgent need to move bowels
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

• Fatigue (or low energy)
• Night sweats
• Loss of normal menstrual cycle

Crohn’s disease symptoms range from mild to severe, can change over time, and vary from person to person—depending on what part of the GI tract is inflamed. And Crohn’s can be progressive—meaning that over time, your symptoms can get worse. That’s why it’s important to always have open conversations about your symptoms with your doctor. You and your doctor will use that information to help determine the best treatment plan for you.

Crohn’s Inflammation Can Affect More Than the GI Tract

With Crohn’s disease, a person’s immune system overreacts—causing inflammation that leads to symptoms. Outside of the intestine (extraintestinal) it can also affect:

What Are Some Signs to Assess Crohn's Disease Activity?

Crohn’s disease is unpredictable. Symptoms can change over time in severity—or even altogether. You may go through periods of remission (when you have few or no symptoms) alternating with times when the disease is active and causing symptoms (flares). Crohn’s symptoms can also come on suddenly, without warning. For times like those, it’s good to be prepared with resources like the Restroom Request Card.

Remember to partner with your doctor—helping you both create a treatment plan that’s right for you. It’s important to follow your treatment as prescribed and to contact your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have.

3 Key Tips From Dr. Millie Long

Hi, I’m Dr. Millie Long and I’m a gastroenterologist at the University of North Carolina Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center where I help patients manage digestive diseases.

Here are 3 key tips I want to share with you today: first, get the facts, for those unfamiliar with IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the 2 most common forms of IBD.

Common symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding.

Second, get in the game, exercise and eat right with IBD. Research shows that regular exercise leads to good health benefits, but there may be times when you may not feel up to exercising. If that’s the case, you can limit exercise when the disease is active. You may resume your exercise regimen once the disease is under control, you are eating regularly, and have more energy. When it comes to nutrition remember that while IBD is not caused by the foods you eat, patients may find that certain foods may aggravate their symptoms. For people with IBD it’s important to maintain a healthy diet because the disease may reduce your appetite while increasing your body’s energy needs.

Third, understand your options, there is no cure for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. But there are treatments available that directly address the inflammation that causes symptoms and help you to achieve and maintain remission.

Gastroenterologist Dr. Millie Long talks about tips for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—like Crohn's Disease or UC.

See an overview of facts on Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC)—all on one downloadable page.

Explore and learn how inflammation affects you with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (UC)—from inside the body.

Know Your Type of Crohn’s Disease and Its Symptoms

If you have Crohn’s, you should know which part of your GI tract is affected. The type of Crohn’s you have impacts the symptoms and complications you may experience. And remember to always tell your doctor about the impact of your disease on your life.

It’s the most common form of Crohn’s disease—affecting the end of the small intestine (terminal ileum) and the large intestine (colon)

Symptoms may include:

• Diarrhea and cramping
• Pain in the middle or lower right part of the abdomen
• Significant weight loss

A type of Crohn’s that only affects the ileum

Symptoms may include:

• Diarrhea and cramping
• Pain in the middle or lower right part of the abdomen
• Significant weight loss
• Complications in severe cases may include fistulas or inflammatory abscess in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen

This Crohn’s disease type is characterized by patchy areas of inflammation on the upper half of the small intestine (jejunum)

Symptoms may include:

• Diarrhea
• Mild to intense abdominal pain following meals
• Fistulas can form in severe cases or after prolonged periods of inflammation

Gastroduodenal Crohn’s Disease

A type that affects the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum)

Symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

Crohn’s (Granulomatous) Colitis

This type only affects the large intestine (colon)

Symptoms may include:

• Diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding
• Disease around the anus (including abscess, fistulas, and ulcers)
• Skin lesions and joint pains are more common in this type of Crohn’s than others

Some cases of Crohn’s can lead to serious complications. In some cases, your doctor may recommend surgery. Remember that having a good partnership between you and your doctor is very important in managing your disease.

• Abscess—Infected fluid collection in a tissue cavity
• Anemia—Over time, this can be caused by blood loss in the stool or lack of iron or vitamin B12
• Bone loss—People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—like Crohn’s—often have decreased vitamin D, which can lead to bone loss (osteopenia or osteoarthritis), and steroids can make bone loss worse
• Bowel obstruction—Crohn’s affects the thickness of the intestinal wall, and over time parts of the bowel can scar and narrow—which may block the flow of digestion
• Fissures—Tears in the anus lining which can cause pain and bleeding (especially during bowel movements)
• Fistula—Abnormal tunnels that form between 2 structures of the body which are caused by inflammation

• Increased risk of colon cancer—Long-term inflammation of the colon can lead to colon dysplasia (abnormal or precancerous cells)—and colon cancer
• Malabsorption and malnutrition—This includes deficiency of vitamins and minerals—specifically, inflammation of the small intestine can decrease absorption of iron and vitamin B12
• Perforated bowel—Chronic inflammation can weaken the intestinal wall to the extent that a hole develops
• Stricture—Narrowing of the intestine, resulting from chronic inflammation
• Ulcers—Chronic inflammation can lead to open sores (ulcers) anywhere in your digestive tract—from the mouth to anus

Want to prepare for your next Crohn’s doctor visit? Use the Doctor Discussion Guide