Crohns Disease

1. Crohns Disease By: Devon Lee-Barclay

2. Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada This PowerPoint is meant to increase your knowledge on the very detestable Cronhs Disease. For more information on Crohns Disease you can visit www.ccfc.ca or phone 1-800-387-1479

3. Everything that is coloured you must write down in your notebook RED

4. What is Crohns? Crohns is a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Crohns disease is usually found in the ileum (the ileum is part of the small intestine) and the colon (the large intestine). Crohns may also appear in parts of the gastrointestinal tract (digestive system) from the anus and rectum all the way to the mouth. Identifying Crohns is not very difficult to find for a doctor. If a patient describes the symptoms to a doctor, the doctor will then administer a Colonoscopy. A Colonoscopy is a non surgical procedure where a fibre optic tube is fed through the lower and upper intestine. If there appears to be ulcers and/or swelling, you have Crohns. It is possible for Crohns to go dormant for certain periods of time. When this happens you should remain on any medication that you’re on and any special diets you may be on.

5. Do You Have Crohns? • The symptoms, like any other disease, can very from mild to severe. There are many different symptoms to Crohns, some of these could have less to do with the bowels or the digestive system. • These are some of the symptoms of Crohns Disease: • Abscess • Anemia/Low Hemoglobin Concentration • Distention • Enteritis • Excoriation • Fistula • Perianal Disease

6. Do You Have Crohns? Continued Barium X-ray studies may be used to define the distribution, nature and severity of Crohns. Pictures can be taken of the stomach and the small intestines when Barium is ingested through the mouth. Pictures of the colon and the ileum closest to the colon can be obtained when the Barium is administered through the rectum. If a CAT scan is what you fancy, it can be especially helpful in detecting abscesses.

7. What Causes Crohns? Crohns is chronic, and it’s cause is unknown. Stress and food are not the direct cause of Colitis, although these two elements can aggravate a diseased intestine. People with Ulcerative Crohns are susceptive to Crohns Disease. Ulcerative Colitis is extremely similar to Crohns. With the same symptoms and medications, the two diseases could be mistaken for one and other. Intestinal track diseased with Crohns

8. Immunologic and bacterial studies are the focus right now. Some researchers believe the immune system attacks the GI tract. Researchers also believe that a strictly environmental agent takes part in activating the immune systems response. What Causes Crohns? Continued

9. Food, Stress and Crohns Stress Diet Emotional stress can lead the course of Crohns Disease. Emotional stress may initiate an episode of Crohns, this doesn’t mean stress causes it. Careful nutrition is the key to taking care of yourself when you have Crohns. Spicy and high-fibre foods will often cause severe discomfort. A proper diet is very important because the disease is characterized by reduced appetite, poor absorption and diarrhea which reduce body fluids, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The most malabsorbed nutrients are iron, folic acid, calcium and vitamin B12

10. Treatment The common treatment for Crohns is prescribed medication. Different medications have different levels of strength depending on how bad your condition is. The following are the most common treatments: • Surgery • Corticosteroids • Antidiarrheal Medication • 5-ASA agents • Immunomodulators • Antibiotics (Herbal or supplement) • Monoclonal antibody

11. QUIZ!

12. 1. What part of the body does Crohns infect (mainly) and how does it affect that part of the body?

13. State Four Symptoms of Crohns

14. There is another name for Crohns, What is it?

15. What are the most commonly malabsorbed nutrients?

16. What is a Colonoscopy?

17. There, Hopefully that has Hightened your knowledge on Crohns Disease:)