Crohn's DiseaseSample Student Paper(names removed)

Dr. Burril B. Crohn (1884-1983)

Dr. Crohn was the main person to discover the disease now known as Crohn's Disease. He was born and raised in New York where he attended City College and Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Later he was named Chief of Mount Sinai's Gastroenterology Clinic. He was best remembered for his discovery of regional ileitis (Crohn's Disease) in 1932 along with two other surgeons, Leon Ginzburg and Gordon Oppenheimer.

What in the World is Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's Disease is an IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). It is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's Disease is similar to another IBD called Ulcerative Colitis. The main difference is that Crohn's Disease can be inflammation of almost any part of the Gastrointestinal Tract but Ulcerative Colitis only affects the colon.

Diagram of a colon

The Gastrointestinal Tract

Also known as the GI Tract, Digestive Tract, alimentary canal, or the gut. It is a system of organs that take in food, digest it to extract energy and nutrients and then release excess waste. The inflammation of Crohn's Disease can affect anywhere in the GI Tract from the Esophagus to the rectum.

This is a diagram of the GI Tract including each part from the mouth to the anus.

SYMPTOMS:Symptoms vary with Crohn's Disease because they mainly

depend on what part of the GI Tract is being affected.

• Crampy abdominal (belly area) pain

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Loss of Appetite

• Weight Loss

• Eye Inflammation

• Joint pain

• Mouth Ulcers

• Skin Lumps or sores

• Swollen Gums

Testing For Crohn'sThere are many tests for Crohn's Disease. Some of the

are:

• Barium Enema (special x-ray of the large intestine)

• Upper GI series ( x-ray of the small intestine, stomach, and esophagus)

• Colonoscopy (internal examination of the colon)

• Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan Imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the inside of the belly area.

Treatment:There is no cure for Crohn's Disease, unfortunately. It

is made up of periods of time when you feel fine and then there are other times where the symptoms flare up. Even though there isn't a cure yet, there are many medications that can suppress symptoms and flare ups to help cope with the disease. Along with medication diet, nutrition, and stress management can help in dealing with Crohn's. With Crohn's Disease you are also at more of a risk of colon cancer than the average person.

Diet & NutritionA well balanced and healthy diet is good for anyone but can also help to reduce digestive symptoms in Crohn's Disease. Some tips are:

• Eat small amounts of food periodically during the day

• Drink lots of water

• Avoid greasy and fatty foods (ex: butter, margarine, heavy cream)

• Limit foods that you know cause flare ups (ex: some people have a low tolerance to any dairy products so they will try having foods such as low-lactose cheese)

MedicationsThere are a few kinds of medications that can be taken with Crohn's disease to suppress symptoms. They fall into the categories of:

• Cortisone or Steroids - reduce inflammation

• Immune system suppressors - blocks immune reaction which causes inflammation

• Antibiotics - reduce bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine

STRESSUnhealthy amounts of stress in the daily life can cause flare ups to become more persistent and potent. Things such as school, work, moving, loss of a loved one etc. can play big parts in whether you will worsen the digestive problem. Doctors offer programs for Crohn's patients that can help them manage their disease and life without harming themselves.

Current ResearchToday there are a few organizations that work to draw attention to the disease and hope to raise money to find a cure. Some of these organizations are:

• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

• NIDDK

• Crohn's Disease Foundation

All of these organizations work with current patients and run many tests that may one day lead to a cure, for now they mainly focus on creating more effective and specialized medication to fight Crohn's Disease.

Why Did I Research This?

As you know, I researched Crohn's Disease. The reason why I chose this is because to me Crohn's Disease can really affect people. My mom has had Crohn's Disease for over 6 years. When she was diagnosed it was pretty intense with all the doctors and medications we had to get. A lot of things had to change in our lives, even the food we ate! I read up on it awhile back and learned that there was a 75% chance that the first female child in the family would have Crohn's as well. That would be me so I figured it can't hurt to know as much about it as I can in case I do get it.

SOURCES:• Gustave L. Janet W., L. (2010). Biography of burril b. crohn. Retrieved from

http://library.mssm.edu/services/archives/archives_collections/crohn.shtml

• George F., L. (2012, 10 29). Crohn's disease. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001295/

• NIDDK. (n.d.). Crohn's disease. Retrieved from http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/