What Is Crohn’s Disease? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

克罗恩病是一种慢性消化疾病，会导致消化道发炎和损害。

The disease belongs to a group of conditions calledinflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

There's no cure for Crohn's disease, but there aremany treatments帮助管理其症状。

There are several different types of Crohn’s disease, categorized by the area of the digestive tract affected.

肠炎这种形式的克罗恩病的影响only the ileum.

Crohn’s ColitisAlso known as granulomatous colitis, this form of the disease affects only the colon.

Gastroduodenal Crohn’s Disease这种疾病的这种形式会影响小肠​​（十二指肠）的胃和开始。

No two people experience Crohn’s disease in exactly the same way.

您的症状将取决于肠的哪些区域受到影响，以及您的疾病的先进程度以及您的治疗效果。

Most people with Crohn’s disease experience inflammation in both their small intestine and their large intestine (colon), which often causes diarrhea andabdominal painor cramping.

Other common digestive symptoms include直肠出血, nausea or loss of appetite, an urgent need to defecate,and constipation.

Crohn’s disease can also cause weight loss, fatigue, and symptoms outside the digestive system, likejoint pain, red or itchy eyes, and inflamed or bumpy skin.

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The exact causes of Crohn's disease are unknown.

专家认为，遗传因素和环境因素的结合有助于一个人的疾病风险。

克罗恩病的一些危险因素包括：

The first step todiagnosing Crohn’s diseaseis complete medical history, a physical exam, and a series of tests to rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms. These includeirritable bowel syndrome (IBS),lactose intolerance， 和溃疡性结肠炎.

During a physical exam, a physician will check forbloating，肿胀，腹部疼痛或温柔的斑点。

通常需要进行其他测试来诊断克罗恩病，可能包括：血液检查，粪便测试，colonoscopy，上GI (gastrointestinal)内窥镜检查，无线胶囊内窥镜检查以及X射线和计算机断层扫描（CT）扫描等成像测试。

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克罗恩（Crohn）症状严重的一段时间称为耀斑。耀斑的长度因人而异，但通常可以持续几天到几个月。

If a flare is left untreated, it can cause lasting complications and permanent damage, so it’s important to work with your doctor on a treatment plan.

对于克罗恩一段时间的人来说，没有症状称为缓解，可以持续几天，几周甚至几年。

克罗恩病治疗的目的是实现和维持缓解。

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Treatment for Crohn’s disease usually involves a number of different drugs.

Some of these drugs are meant to prevent flares of your disease — periods in which your symptoms return or worsen. Others are prescribed to reduce inflammation and treat symptoms when a flare takes place.

You may also be prescribed antibiotics to treat symptoms or complications due to a bacterial infection.

对于大多数克罗恩氏病的人来说，只有一个人仅仅药物就不够，需要进行手术。

手术治疗可能包括去除肠道的病态区域，打开狭窄或阻塞的区域，甚至取出整个结肠。

大多数手术治疗使克罗恩病人的症状无症状多年。

Alternative therapies can also help to reduce symptoms and maintain remission. Research shows that supplements likeprobiotics可以减少耀斑的持续时间。

了解有关克罗恩病治疗的更多信息

How Can Your Diet Affect Crohn’s Disease?

There’s no single diet that helps all people with Crohn’s disease.

You may find that making certain dietary changes helps reduce uncomfortable symptoms during flares, such asbloating, gas, and diarrhea.

Foods that commonly trigger symptoms include certain whole grains, nuts and seeds, raw fruits and vegetables, spicy foods, fatty or greasy foods,乳制品， 和caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.

如果您因克罗恩病而经历营养不良，则可能需要专注于在饮食中获得足够的某些营养。

当您的症状处于最糟糕的状态时，专注于易于消化meals and小吃.

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定义克罗恩病的肠壁持续的炎症和伤害可能导致许多complications.

Most of these complications affect the digestive system, but some may take place in other areas of the body.

One common digestive complication is an intestinal blockage, which happens when inflammation causes scar tissue to build up and narrow an area of the intestines.

Other digestive complications may include tears in your anus, pockets of infection, malnutrition, and evencolon cancer.

People with Crohn's have an elevated risk for certain mild liver problems, including fatty肝病, hepatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a condition characterized by inflammation to the bile duct system of the liver.

Less commonly, Crohn’s disease can cause complications in other areas of the body, such as mouth,joint,皮肤， 和eye problems. It can also cause problems duringpregnancy.

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研究表明，由于尚未完全理解的原因，这种情况在美国和某些其他国家变得越来越普遍。

Men and women are equally likely to be affected.

Crohn’s is a form of irritable bowel disease, an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The other main type of IBD is ulcerative colitis, a condition characterized by chronic inflammation andulcers在结肠和直肠的衬里中。

It’s also important not to confuse an irritable bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis withirritable bowel syndrome(IBS). The two conditions sound similar and even share some of the same symptoms but are very different.

尽管科学家正在努力更好地理解IBD的确切原因，但通常认为身体将肠道中的正常细菌误认为是敌人。由于人体的自然防御能力，这会导致消化道的慢性炎症。相比之下，IBS的消化系统没有物理变化。

Having Crohn’s disease can be physically and emotionally exhausting, and it can sometimes feel like no one else knows what you’re going through.

At the same time, you may have questions about the best way to treat or manage your disease, or wonder if you could benefit from participating in aclinical trial.

Fortunately, a number of resources are available for information, emotional support, and even amusement related to Crohn’s disease.

Check outour list与克罗恩斯有关的网站，组织，文章和博客。您可以了解有关治疗选择的更多信息，了解其他人在克罗恩（Crohn）的经历，并了解更多有关参与研究或倡导的信息。

了解有关克罗恩病资源的更多信息

The coronavirus pandemic has forced everyone to take extra precautions when it comes to health and safety. This is especially true for individuals with a compromised immune system. Although research shows that people living with Crohn’s disease are no more susceptible to catching the virus than the general population, organizations including theAmerican College of Gastroenterologyand the克罗恩和结肠炎基金会已经发布了许多新准则，以帮助限制感染的传播。

And, doctors recommend that people with inflammatory bowel diseases receive the2019冠状病毒病疫苗. Talk to your doctor to see if you also need aCOVID-19助推器射击。

There are a number of resources available to help people with Crohn’s manage these difficult times — from medication assistance totelehealth appointments进行精神​​健康的虚拟疗法。

Learn More About Crohn’s and COVID-19

Additional reporting byJordan M. Davidson.