Affecting more than 1.6 million Americans, inflammatory bowel diseases cause painful symptoms that make living life difficult sometimes. Of these IBDs, Crohn’s disease may be the worst. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some common patient questions: what is the life expectancy of someone with Crohn’s disease, what are the worst symptoms of Crohn's disease, and does Crohn’s get worse with age?
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
The symptoms of this disease can range from mild to severe, with some patients unable to do anything but rest and stay in bed during attacks.
Mild to severe abdominal pain
Inflammation in the mouth, eyes, and joints
Diarrhea that contains pus, mucus, or blood
Constipation
Bleeding in the rectum
Fever
Nausea and/or vomiting
Weight loss due to poor digestion and nausea
Fatigue
Having a sense of feeling full or being bloated constantly
What Causes Crohn’s Disease?
The base cause for this disease has not been discovered yet; however, there does seem to be some involvement of the immune system in how this condition manifests. For example, some scientists have found abnormal immune reactions to good bacteria in the guts of patients with Crohn’s, suggesting that there is a misfire that unintentionally catches the intestinal lining in the crossfire. Other studies suggest that Crohn’s disease may be hereditary in nature; depending on the interaction of the genetics with the disease state, inheritance may be a risk factor or a cause of its own right.
Crohn’s Disease Risk Factors
As mentioned above, genetics may be a contributing risk factor; however, there are also other risk factors that patients may need to consider. These risk factors include your environment, whether or not you smoke, your age and ethnicity (Ashkenazi Jewish have the highest risk), whether or not you use oral contraceptives or NSAIDs, and whether or not you have certain gut bacteria that supposedly play a role in disease manifestation. These risk factors can worsen your symptoms through their inflammatory effects.
Answering Your Questions:
What Is the Life Expectancy of Someone With Crohn’s Disease?
The life expectancy of someone with Crohn’s disease isn’t much different than someone without it. On average, men with Crohn’s will live to 77.3 years and women to 79 years old.
What Are the Worst Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?
The constant inflammation and abdominal pain are probably the worst symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease. These symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the day.
Does Crohn’s Get Worse With Age?
While Crohn’s is not a progressive disease, the symptoms of it do tend to increase in severity as a patient ages. This is due to the compounding effects of inflammation and tissue damage, rather than disease progression, however.
Crohn’s Disease Diagnosis and Treatment in Tampa Bay
If you or your doctor suspect that you might be suffering from Crohn’s disease, you will need to be diagnosed. Crohn’s diagnosis may involve a CT scan, upper GI series, an intestinal endoscopy, and a host of lab tests. If you get diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, treatment will consist of anti-inflammatory drugs, minimizing irritation through diet, and sometimes surgical Crohn’s treatment options.
If you are struggling with intense abdominal pain on a regular basis (or any of the other symptoms mentioned above), get in touch with our team of colorectal specialists today.