Newly Diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Crohn’s disease is a life-changing diagnosis that comes with many questions and concerns. Providing insights, Dr. Matthew Coates, gastroenterologist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, suggests consulting experienced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) providers, preferably at a specialized center for Crohn’s disease. Characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, Crohn’s disease can present itself with abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue. Nutritional deficiencies, anxiety, and depression are also experienced by patients. Misdiagnosis is common, and to identify Crohn’s disease, a mix of symptoms, clinical findings, stool tests, blood tests, endoscopies, and imaging are needed. Various treatments are available, including immunomodulators, small molecules, and biologics that work by calming down the overactive immune system of the gastrointestinal tract. Low FODMAP diet can help IBD patients in remission, but studies have not yet established one diet that is superior in controlling Crohn’s. There are many active investigations on approved medications that target the immune system, and treatments are likely to increase in the coming years. Research points to the environmental exposures that mix with certain genetic background components like an infection or a shift in the microbiome as the possible causes of rising cases of IBD. With appropriate therapy, patients can lead normal, healthy, and happy lives. Effective therapy helps to keep the disease under control and manage the disease activity and complications, allowing patients to gain control over their disease process.