What Causes Crohn's Disease and How Can We Understand It?

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In summary, this person has Crohn's Disease which is an autoimmune disease. They are almost 40 years old and still do not know what causes the disease. They are also concerned that their son may develop the disease.
  • #1
hsdrop
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this is something I was born with or at least it was affecting me by the time i was 3-6 years of age. I am almost 40 now and I still have no idea what causes crohn's. I know it an autoimmune thing (and yes I know what that means) but what cause it to happen? why does my body hate it self so much it tries to kill it self?? lol at least that's what it feels like to me most of the time. I'm also concerned that my son may develop it as well but he is 14 now without any systems so far. Can some please help me understand what causes it? But please don't use huges words that I would spend most of the time looking up to find out what they mean and not understanding why this happens to me...
 
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  • #2
Nobody knows. But the Wikipedia article on it is really long, as the number of references there is.
 
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oh i have done a lot of research myself and when i walk into a doctors offices almost always i know more of what's going on with my body then they do which i consider a little sad and also a little funny that 8 years of med school got them no farther than i am knowing what is going on in my body sometimes its just grrrrr and i can't do anything about it but thank you for replaying
 
  • #4
Why do you believe that you know more about 'what's going on in your body' and the disease itself than the doctors if you dislike reading big words? You come across as mocking doctors. The presumptuous belief that doctors and medical experts owe other people more than they are willing to do for others themselves is ignorant- what did you do for other people during those years they were in medical school? They are not gods, but still people with the same limitations as others, regardless of how admirable their work may be. Having a blaming, negative attitude towards people isn't good for your health, sir; and it really isn't going to encourage people to want to help you.

Your body isn't trying to commit suicide. I advise that you have your son's pediatrician run tests for Crohn's Disease and make sure that they are aware of your medical history.

Yes, you can do something about it and take preventive measures to halt the progress of the disease- that is always part of a successful treatment plan with this disease. I also suggest some mental health counseling or that you find a local support group with people that are dealing with the same problems as yourself. Some resources:




http://www.ccfa.org/resources/
http://www.ccfa.org/resources/intro-to-clinical-trials.html
http://www.ccfa.org/research/current-research-studies/
http://www.ccfa.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/find-a-support-group/

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20...r-new-potential-cause-for-Crohns-disease.aspx
 
  • #5
hsdrop said:
this is something I was born with or at least it was affecting me by the time i was 3-6 years of age. I am almost 40 now and I still have no idea what causes crohn's. I know it an autoimmune thing (and yes I know what that means) but what cause it to happen? why does my body hate it self so much it tries to kill it self?? lol at least that's what it feels like to me most of the time. I'm also concerned that my son may develop it as well but he is 14 now without any systems so far. Can some please help me understand what causes it? But please don't use huges words that I would spend most of the time looking up to find out what they mean and not understanding why this happens to me...
If your doctor(s) have not explained this to you, I strongly suggest that you find better doctors. It is a serious disease, but can be controlled with the correct medicine and diet.
 
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Fervent Freyja said:
Why do you believe that you know more about 'what's going on in your body' and the disease itself than the doctors if you dislike reading big words? You come across as mocking doctors. The presumptuous belief that doctors and medical experts owe other people more than they are willing to do for others themselves is ignorant- what did you do for other people during those years they were in medical school? They are not gods, but still people with the same limitations as others, regardless of how admirable their work may be. Having a blaming, negative attitude towards people isn't good for your health, sir; and it really isn't going to encourage people to want to help you.
ok first off I'm not trying to mocking anyone when i was 13 i had such bad abdominal pains i passed out after the dry heaves when i went into the ed that night i was told that i was being melodramatic by my own doctor then was told to just go home and get over it he got fired for that cause a half hour after that i was in the or getting my intestines pulled out and cut apart cause a green pea blocked me up i also have disability in reading grammar and spelling and it's not that i have not tried to educate myself cause no one else will when i was in the school system i was tested over and over again and after many years of trying to improve my disability without and progress at all so when i ask someone not to use big words it not because i will not understand the meaning of them it's because i have so much trouble reading and sounding them out i lose the meaning of the sentence the word was in that's also why it may seem at time i come across sounding strange with my wording of thing when I'm trying so hard not to i have had a lot of roadblocks in my life making it harder than normal for me to do a lot of thing and it not like i put the roadblocks there myself or have not tried to remove them cause i have now i have severe crohn's I'm on remicade every 4-6 weeks and i go into the hospital at least 2 a year for a boule rest and have tried just about every drug out there for my crohnsand if no one has notest i asked why crohn's happens what makes it happen not how to manage it
 
  • #7
Evo said:
If your doctor(s) have not explained this to you, I strongly suggest that you find better doctors. It is a serious disease, but can be controlled with the correct medicine and diet.
i have been to quite a few doctors in my life some of them are the best in the state of wisconsin and i just keep getting told the same thing "they don't know why my white blood cells keep doing what they do in my body that why I'm trying to ask anyone on the forum if they might know i have been dealing with this all my life so yes i do know how bad it can get and what the treatments are i do have a lot of first hand experiences with it lol but thank you for the concern
 
  • #8
hsdrop said:
i have been to quite a few doctors in my life some of them are the best in the state of wisconsin and i just keep getting told the same thing "they don't know why my white blood cells keep doing what they do in my body that why I'm trying to ask anyone on the forum if they might know i have been dealing with this all my life so yes i do know how bad it can get and what the treatments are i do have a lot of first hand experiences with it lol but thank you for the concern
There are medications, My daughter and friends have it, and their's are in remission now, and leading normal lives.
 
  • #9
Evo said:
If your doctor(s) have not explained this to you, I strongly suggest that you find better doctors. It is a serious disease, but can be controlled with the correct medicine and diet.

From the National Institutes of Health
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-in...tive-diseases/crohns-disease/Pages/facts.aspx

The OP is correct about the underlying causes being unknown, and the problem is certainly not with the doctors.
 
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  • #10
The OP is correct about the underlying causes being unknown, and the problem is certainly not with the doctors.[/QUOTE]

thank you for the link

:oldconfused: :headbang: please everyone I'm trying so hard to not telling my opinion and just trying to get an answer to a question the walking into a doctor's office thing has happened a couple of time to me but not every time and the doctors I'm talking about were not GI doctors (even throw there was one like that) they were general practice doctors like the first doctor i had that got himself fired for missing my systems for about 10 years or so telling me it was all in my head there was another time where i was made to wait over 4 hours in the waiting room of an er in a cold sweat from the pain of a blockage just cause the doctors on that shift didn't want to deal with the problem i have a lot of stories about bad experiences with doctors and it was throws doctors i was talking about not the good ones that take the time to care and lesson and not treat everyone like a number i have a very good doctor now both gi and general that i trust i have had both of them for 5 years now and that lesson to me and take time to explain what they know they do not try to push unneeded drugs on my just cause the insurance company or their admin tell them to I'm on disability in wisconsin,us and will probably never get the chance to work again cause of my reading problem i had to go for labor jobs and every time i got good at what i was doing my body would act up and give out on me life has been very trying at time cause of this
 
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  • #11
You have my sympathy, there are often problems in the way some people are treated when the cause of an illness is unclear and the treatments rather non specific, the severity of symptoms and the responses to treatment vary considerably. There is currently a lot of interest at the moment about the potential role of micro-organisms particularly viruses in autoimmune conditions which might also be associated with genetic predisposition. Having said all that we are currently at the start of a medical revolution based on the increased understanding of basic biology this has lead to new approaches to treatment using immune modulators and a number of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, unfortunately these are very expensive. However things are changing fast.
 
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  • #12
Laroxe said:
You have my sympathy, there are often problems in the way some people are treated when the cause of an illness is unclear and the treatments rather non specific, the severity of symptoms and the responses to treatment vary considerably. There is currently a lot of interest at the moment about the potential role of micro-organisms particularly viruses in autoimmune conditions which might also be associated with genetic predisposition. Having said all that we are currently at the start of a medical revolution based on the increased understanding of basic biology this has lead to new approaches to treatment using immune modulators and a number of drugs called monoclonal antibodies, unfortunately these are very expensive. However things are changing fast.
thank you for your input and if you would like to just chat about our crohn's just drop me a line any time
 

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive tract. It can cause severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and other symptoms. It is considered an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body's immune system attacks its own healthy tissue.

What causes Crohn’s Disease?

The exact cause of Crohn’s Disease is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and immune system factors. Some studies suggest that certain bacteria or viruses may trigger the disease in people who are genetically predisposed to it.

What are the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

The most common symptoms of Crohn’s Disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Other symptoms may include rectal bleeding, fever, joint pain, and skin problems. Symptoms can vary in severity and may come and go over time.

How is Crohn’s Disease diagnosed?

Crohn’s Disease can be challenging to diagnose as its symptoms can be similar to other digestive disorders. A doctor will typically perform a physical exam, blood tests, stool tests, and imaging tests such as colonoscopy or MRI to confirm a diagnosis. A tissue sample may also be taken during a colonoscopy to examine for inflammation.

Is there a cure for Crohn’s Disease?

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Crohn’s Disease. However, there are various treatments available to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. These may include medication, dietary changes, and in some cases, surgery. It is essential to work closely with a doctor to develop an individualized treatment plan.

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