6 Most Common Symptoms Of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a medical condition, which is characterized by swelling in the gastrointestinal tract. Ranging from mouth to anus, this disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract but the most common site of development for the crohn’s disease is the meeting point of the small intestine and the colon.

Apart from gastrointestinal tract, this disease can also affect many other parts of the body like skin, joints, liver and eyes. This is a chronic disease that can cause several problems such as abdominal pain, weight loss and intestinal bleeding. In addition to these common symptoms, fever, fatigue and nausea are also observed in many crohn’s disease patients.

These symptoms may be mild or severe, depending upon the condition of the disease. This disease may develop gradually or suddenly, without any warning. Though these symptoms are non-specific and can be observed in many other diseases also, they symptoms play a great role in the diagnosis of this disease.

Understanding the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one of the main symptoms of Crohn’s disease. The inflammation leads to secretion of a lot of salt and water from the cells of the affected area of the intestine. As the colon fails to absorb the excess fluid, it causes diarrhea. Intestinal cramping can also cause loose stools, making diarrhea a common problem among Crohn’s patients.

Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain is also an important symptom of crohn’s disease. Due to the ulceration and inflammation, the bowel wall tends to swell and thickens with scar tissues. It affects the movement of the contents through the digestive tract, which often leads to mild to severe abdominal pain. Mild symptoms of crohn’s disease lead to moderate discomfort in the intestine, but in some severe cases, the pain could be very severe and lead to vomiting and nausea.

Blood in the Stool

In crohn’s disease, you may find blood in the stool, which is one of the most important symptoms of this disease. The abnormal movement of food through the digestive tract often leads to bleeding of the inflamed tissues.

In this disease, sometimes, the bowel may bleed on its own too. The blood in the stool may be bright red or dark red in color. Sometimes, you may be unable to see blood in the stool, this is known as occult blood, but you may experience some pain in the bowel area.

Ulcers

Ulcers are very common in crohn’s disease, making them one of its important symptoms. This disease may lead to small sores on the intestine that can gradually turn into big ulcers, penetrating deep into the walls of the intestines. In addition, you may also develop ulcers in the mouth.

Reduced Appetite and Weight Loss

Reduced appetite and associated weight loss can also occur in crohn’s disease. The abdominal pain often leads to inflammation of the bowel walls that can affect your appetite and cause problems in digesting and absorbing food leading to abnormal weight loss.

Fever

Fever is also a common symptom of crohn’s disease. In this disease, you may observe high fever, which often indicates a complication involved with this infection. High fever often brings along loss of energy and fatigue.