The Signs and Symptoms of Crohn's

Photo Credit

Crohn's disease brings with it a plethora of symptoms, making it very uncomfortable and difficult to incorporate into one's normal social activities.  The many symptoms of Crohn's include diarrhea, stomach pain/cramping, stomach bleeding, fever, anorexia/weight loss, and psychological concerns.

Diarrhea occurs because of the extensive inflammation inside the gut.  The swelling negatively affects the body's ability to absorb the nutrients in food, so it sort of "flows on", instead of slowing down for absorption.  Because of diarrhea, Crohn's patients are at a high risk of dehydration.  Encouragement of fluid intake will go along with various assessments of the skin and mucous membranes to ensure the Crohn's patient gets adequate fluid.

The abdominal cramping associated with Crohn's can be especially painful.  It's caused by various complications of the disease, such as ulcerations, scar tissue, lesions, and strictures.  Along with the above-mentioned inflammation, such strong pain can interfere with nutrition (less appetite due to pain), as well as interfering with sleep, mood, and everything the individual does throughout the day.
Stomach bleeding, or gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, can be very serious, especially if enough blood is lost through the stool.  The patient may catch it earlier on, noticing a change in color of his/her stool (i.e. dark, tarry stools indicating stomach bleed), but it may initially go unnoticed.  When enough blood has been lost to warrant a symptomatic state, patients will often feel dizzy (less oxygen being carried to brain by blood cells).

Fever may develop due to the extensive swelling going on in the gut.  Due to diarrhea and/or abdominal cramping/pain, there's a good chance that anorexia and weight loss can occur.

Psychological concern surrounds the fact that Crohn's is a lifelong, chronic disease that changes the way an individual lives their life.  Depression and anxiety are common concerns, and worry associated with worsening symptoms or flare-ups can truly take hold of one's frame of thought.

Management of these symptoms is comprehensive, and we'll discuss this topic later in the blog.  Please watch the short video below to hear from real Crohn's patients talk about their early experiences with the disease.

Video Credit

References:
Smith, C., & Harris, H. (2014, December 1). Crohn disease: Taking charge of a lifelong disorder. Nursing 2014, 40-41.