Thursday, October 25, 2012

P to the L to the EDGE....

*I PLEDGE THAT EVERY DAY IN OCTOBER (BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH) I WILL POST A FACT ABOUT CROHN'S DISEASE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR CD*

1.Canada has one of the highest rates of IBD in the World.
2. The most common age to be diagnosed is anywhere between 15 to 25 but approximately 10% of those with Crohn's disease are under 18 years of age.
3. Crohn's Disease is similar to Colitis, making it difficult to diagnose. The difference is that Colitis infects superficial layers, while Crohn's Disease infects multiple layers of tissue.
4. Many children do not present with classic abdominal/intestinal symptoms. Most first present with growth issues.
5. Crohn's also causes three different types of inflammation of the eye (episcleritis, scleritis, and uveitis)
6. The illness has several names: ileitis, regional enteritis, ileocolitis, and Crohn's colitis (for disease solely in the colon).
7. As is the case with many digestive diseases, people are quick to assume that the cause of Crohn's is stress. However, most doctors tell their patients that this is simply false. Stress can affect the patient much the same as it does with any other major disease but is not the cause of the illness.
8. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to develop Crohn's disease.
9. Women with Crohn’s disease can become pregnant and have a baby. Even so, women with Crohn’s disease should talk with their health care provider before getting pregnant. Some medications used for CD can harm an unborn baby.
10. Crohn's Disease is often misdiagnosed. Most commonly as Irritable Bowel Disease.
11. Even with a full battery of tests, it may not be possible to diagnose Crohn's with complete certainty; a colonoscopy is approximately 70% effective in diagnosing the disease, with further tests being less effective.
12. Certain lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms, including dietary adjustments, elemental diet, proper hydration, and smoking cessation.
13. Eating small meals frequently instead of big meals may also help with a low appetite.
14. The gradual loss of blood from the gastrointestinal tract, as well as chronic inflammation, often leads to anemia.
15. Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families.
16. The most common complication of Crohn’s disease is an intestinal blockage caused by thickening of the intestinal wall because of swelling and scar tissue.
17. No special diet has been proven effective for preventing or treating Crohn’s disease, but it is important that people who have Crohn’s disease follow a nutritious diet and avoid any foods that seem to worsen symptoms.
18. Because Crohn’s disease often recurs after surgery, people considering surgery should carefully weigh its benefits and risks compared with other treatments.
19. It is believed that a virus or bacteria may be involved, which may cause the initial damage to the lining of the GI tract. However, it is not yet known which organism might be involved.
20. Crohn's Disease cannot be prevented. If you are going to develop it then you are going to develop it. The trick is not letting it get to the point of taking over your life.
21. it usually strikes between the teen years and age 30. However, many patients have told me a second wave occurs between 55 and 65.
22. In certain African countries there are little to no incidence of CD.
23. The disease takes its name from Dr. Burrill B. Crohn. In 1932, he and two colleagues published a monumental paper describing the details of the disease that now bears his name.
24. Crohn's disease is very close in relationship to rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, a percentage of CD patients also develop RA.
25. Crohn's disease affects about one in 1,000 people.