About Crohn's Disease & Colitis Deaths

Colitis is a blanket term for any sort of inflammation of the colon, which is also known as the large intestine. Because Crohn's disease affects the digestive tract, it can affect the colon. Colitis often results in weight loss and diarrhea, as well as pain. While these symptoms are rarely life threatening, they can be fatal for those already in extremely poor health.

Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a condition that results from an inflammatory reaction of the digestive tract. It is not exactly known how Crohn's disease develops, but it does occur when the digestive system is attacked by the immune system. As a result, Crohn's disease is thought of as an auto-immune disease and may have genetic factors.

Symptoms of Crohn's

The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are vomiting, diarrhea (which may or may not have blood in it), abdominal pain and weight loss. Because Crohn's is a disease of the immune system, it can also cause rashes, eye inflammation and arthritis.

Diagnosis of Crohn's

Crohn's disease is usually diagnosed by getting a biopsy of the affected area.

Colitis

Colitis is a more general term for inflammation of any region of the colon, which is also known as the large intestine. Colitis is a chronic condition and, while it includes Crohn's, it also includes diseases such as ulcerative colitis and infectious colitis.

Causes of Colitis

A bacterial infection can cause inflammation of the large intestine, as can exposure to harmful chemicals or parasites. In some cases, there is no apparent reason for colitis.

Deaths from Colitis

Fortunately, death from colitis is rare. Usually any colitis mortality occurs in someone who has a weakened immune system, so that the resulting diarrhea and weight loss places too much of a burden on an already unstable body. In extremely rare cases, infectious colitis can be fatal if the infection enters the bloodstream and causes a condition known as sepsis.