Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect your digestive tract and overall health. Diet or food allergies do not cause it, but medication and eating well can help a person manage the symptoms.
This condition affects around one in 250 Australians, with at least 75,000 diagnosed cases of Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis in this country alone. That number is projected to increase, so the more you know about this condition, the more understanding you can be of it.
Brief Description of Crohn’s Disease
Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis fall under the title of IBD or inflammatory bowel disease. Unlike ulcerative colitis, however, Crohn’s inflames the bowel wall and any part of your digestive tract – from your mouth to your anus. The most common age for a Crohn’s diagnosis is between ages 15 and 30, but a diagnosis at any time is not uncommon and is even being picked up in children as young as nine.