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Crohn's Disease
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Digestive System

Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract, most commonly the small and large intestines.

What is Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that causes inflammation in your digestive tract. While it can affect any part of the tract from the mouth to the anus, it usually impacts the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. It is classified as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), alongside conditions like ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis.

Causes & Risk Factors

The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown, though researchers believe an autoimmune reaction—where the immune system attacks healthy cells—may be a factor. Genetics may also play a role. While stress and certain foods do not cause the disease, they can exacerbate symptoms.

Factors that may increase your risk include:

  • Family history: Having a parent, child, or sibling with the disease.
  • Smoking: This may double your risk of developing the disease.
  • Certain medicines: Antibiotics, birth-control pills, and NSAIDs (such as aspirin or ibuprofen) may slightly increase your risk.
  • Diet: A high-fat diet may slightly increase your risk.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary based on the severity and location of the inflammation. Common symptoms include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Cramping and abdominal pain
  • Weight loss

Other possible symptoms include anemia, eye redness or pain, fatigue, fever, joint pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and skin changes such as red, tender bumps.

Associated Complications

Crohn's disease can lead to several complications, including:

  • Intestinal obstruction
  • Fistulas
  • Abscesses
  • Anal fissures
  • Ulcers
  • Malnutrition
  • Inflammation in other areas, such as joints, eyes, and skin

Diagnosis

Health care providers use a combination of tools to reach a diagnosis:

  • Medical and family history
  • Physical exam (checking for bloating, listening to abdominal sounds, and checking for tenderness)
  • Blood and stool tests
  • Colonoscopy
  • Upper GI endoscopy
  • Diagnostic imaging, such as a CT scan or an upper GI series using barium

Treatment & Management

While there is no cure, treatments aim to decrease inflammation, relieve symptoms, and prevent complications. Options include:

  • Medicines: Various drugs to decrease inflammation by reducing immune system activity, or to treat specific symptoms and infections.
  • Bowel rest: Consuming only specific liquids or nothing at all to allow the intestines to rest, often involving nutritional support via feeding tubes or IVs.
  • Surgery: Used to treat complications such as fistulas, life-threatening bleeding, or obstructions when other treatments are insufficient.

Dietary adjustments, such as eating smaller meals, staying hydrated, and avoiding high-fiber foods or carbonated drinks, may help manage symptoms. Providers may also recommend specific diets (e.g., low-fat, low-fiber, or lactose-free) and nutritional supplements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, creates patchy areas of inflammation with healthy tissue in between (skip lesions), and causes transmural inflammation that penetrates the full depth of the bowel wall, often leading to strictures and fistulas. Ulcerative colitis, in contrast, is restricted solely to the colon and rectum, causes continuous superficial inflammation limited to the mucosal lining, and does not produce full-thickness fistulas. What dietary changes are recommended during an acute Crohn's flare-up?::During an active flare, a temporary low-residue or low-fiber diet is typically recommended to minimize intestinal work, reduce stool volume, and prevent mechanical irritation. Patients are advised to limit raw vegetables, seeds, nuts, popcorn, caffeine, alcohol, and high-fat foods. Focusing on well-cooked peeled vegetables, lean proteins, refined grains, and oral rehydration solutions helps maintain hydration and caloric intake without worsening abdominal cramps. Which tests are used to track inflammation and monitor disease activity in Crohn's disease?::Clinicians monitor disease activity and therapeutic response using fecal calprotectin, a stool test that directly reflects intestinal mucosal inflammation and can detect an impending flare before symptoms appear. Blood tests, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), monitor systemic inflammation, while regular complete blood counts screen for anemia. Routine colonoscopies or cross-sectional imaging (MR enterography) are used periodically to assess true endoscopic healing. What safety monitoring is required for patients starting biologic medications for Crohn's disease?::Because biologics modulate targeted parts of the immune system, patients must undergo screening for latent tuberculosis (via PPD or blood test) and viral hepatitis
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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