Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation of the intestines. It mainly produces ulcerations (breaks in the mucosa) in the small intestine and the thick, but it also can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It is also called regional enteritis, granulomatous enteritis, colitis or terminal ileitis. Crohn's disease and ulcerate colitis are similar - so similar that often are taken as one another. Both inflame the lining of the digestive tract, and both can cause severe episodes of watery diarrhea and abdominal pain or bleeding.  Ulcerate colitis leading to colonic inflammation (colitis) and / or rectum (Proctor), Crohn's disease can cause inflammation of the colon, rectum, small intestine (jejunum and ileum), and occasionally stomach, mouth and esophagus.

Ulcerate colitis, on the other hand, usually affects only the internal lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum.

-What are the causes?  The causes of Crohn's disease are unknown. Studies show that this, and other intestinal inflammatory diseases, are an abnormal response of the immune system to bacteria normally found in the intestine, and not normally produce this disease.

Bacteria and viruses that cause diseases (pathogens) may also play a role in the development of Crohn's disease. Immune activation in the intestine appears to play an important role. The immune system is composed of immune cells and proteins that they produce. Normally, these cells and proteins protect and attack the body against bacteria, viruses, fungi and other foreign invaders. Activation of the immune system produces tissue inflammation which it occurs. (Inflammation is an important mechanism of defense used by the immune system).

-What are the Crohn's disease symptoms?

Find in the following lines, the main Crohn's disease symptoms:

• Pain and cramping. Pain is often described as intermittent and stomach cramps can be painful to touch. Abdominal pain can become dull and constant as the disease progresses.

• Blood in the stool. Foods that progresses through the digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue and intestinal bleeding can also bleed. Can see traces of bright red blood in the toilet, or darker blood mixed in stool. Bleeding can occur and that you can not see (occult). In phase severe, bleeding is often massive and continuous.

• Diarrhea. Some patients may have diarrhea 10 to 20 times per day. They can wake up at night with the need to go to the bathroom. Crohn's disease can cause bleeding in the stool, but not always.

• Loss of appetite.

• Fever. In severe cases, may develop fever or other symptoms that affect the whole body. High fever may mean that you have complications involving infection, for example an abscess.


• Losing weight. Recurrent symptoms, for example diarrhea, can lead to weight loss.