Crohn’s disease symptoms: What are the warning signs of bowel disease?

According to Crohn’s and Colitis UK, around one in every 650 Britons may be living with Crohn’s disease. This condition can have uncomfortable symptoms, including changes to your bowel habits and feeling exhausted. These are the most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease – as well as more unusual signs.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness, meaning it is a lifelong condition affecting your digestive system and bowel.

It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but its causes are not yet known.

Research has found some links with genetics, however, there is not yet enough evidence to confirm the cause for Crohn’s disease.

Other environmental factors seem to have an influence on Crohn’s disease too, including viruses, bacteria, smoking and stress.

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While Crohn’s is a chronic disease, it can be triggered by factors causing a flare-up of symptoms.

What are the symptoms of Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease can vary from person to person, and symptoms can also differ depending on where in the bowel is affected.

Crohn’s and Colitis UK describe the main symptoms as:

• Abdominal pain and diarrhoea – sometimes there might be traces of blood in your poo.
• Tiredness and fatigue.
• Feeling generally unwell – some people may have a raised temperature and feel feverish.
• Mouth ulcers
• Loss of appetite and weight loss – this can also be due to the body not absorbing nutrients from the food you eat because of the inflammation in the gut.
• Anaemia (a reduced level of red blood cells) – you are more likely to develop anaemia if you are losing blood, are not eating much, or your body is not fully absorbing the nutrients from the food you do eat.

The worrying symptoms of Crohn’s disease can closely resemble those of bowel cancer, so it’s especially important if you experience any of these symptoms you speak to your doctor.

Children can also get Crohn’s disease, so if your child doesn’t seem to be growing as they should be, or have any of the symptoms above, you should make an appointment for them to see a doctor.

For many people who are diagnosed with Crohn’s, they can manage their condition with medication but still may experience flare-ups from time to time.

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Although Crohn’s primarily affects your gut, you might experience symptoms in other parts of your body as well.

Inflammation of the joints or arthritis is a common complication from Crohn’s disease, as well as skin conditions.

People with Crohn’s can also cause eye irritations and increase your risk of developing kidney stones.

Medications for Crohn’s disease include steroids, which may need to be taken for a few months, and immunosuppressants.

In addition to medical treatment, some people choose to adapt their diet after getting a Crohn’s diagnosis.

However, diets have to be tailored to the individual, and there aren’t any food groups to cut out or foods that particularly help relieve symptoms.

On an individual basis, some people find diets such as the low-FODMAP diet or specific IBD diet plans help them, but this varies from person to person.

Supplements cannot cure Crohn’s disease but some people choose to use supplements to boost their vitamin intake, especially if they have to limit their diet to aid with their symptoms.

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