How to Recognize the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn's disease, also called Terminal Ileitis, adversely affects the patient’s digestive system. The disease can damage any part of the digestive system including the mouth and anus. Named after the physician Burrill Crohn, the disease causes inflammation of the intestines. Learn the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find out if the person is suffering from diarrhea. Patients generally complain of large volume of fecal urgency, watery feces and poor control over bowels.
2. Abdominal pain is a major symptom of Crohn’s disease.
3. Check for blood in the feces. It is indicative of Crohn’s disease.
4. Consider if there is pain around the anus. Fissures in anal area can cause bleeding during bowel movements. Mild fever accompanied with an abscess in the anal region is considered indicative of Crohn’s disease.
5. Notice if the person complains of abdominal pain, vomiting sensation and difficulty in swallowing food.
6. Monitor the body weight. Loss of weight due to poor food intake is a common symptom of Crohn’s disease.
7. Get the patient tested for anemia. Blood loss due to ulceration will reduce the red blood cell count.
8. Eye inflammation, skin problem, liver disease, kidney stones and arthritis also symptoms of Crohn's disease.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a track on the patient’s diet as wrong food intake can aggravate the situation.