Crohn's disease, also know as regional enteritis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and not irritable bowel syndrome as some people think. Crohn's is an infection anywhere from the top of the esophagus to the rectum whereas IBS is normally limited to the intestines and colon.
There is no known cause for Crohn's disease is a virus or chronic condition that researchers consider an auto-immune disease, The body itself causes the conditions needed for a flare-up.
Symptoms of Crohn's include painful abdominal cramping, frequent bowel movements, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue. It can occur at any age but normally presents itself between the ages of 15 and 30 and usually in Caucasian women.
Treatment includes diet, exercise, antibiotics and salicylates for mild cases and steroids or immunomodulators for those with a more severe form of the disease. Newer biological medications are also available like inflixmab and Abbott Laboratories' Humira.
While not fatal the disease is chronic and as is often cyclical with periods of improvement followed by relapses.
» Cimzia Approved by FDA to Treat Crohn's Disease from PharmaGazette
The U.S Food and Drug Administration has approved Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) for the treatment of moderate to serve Crohn's disease in adults who have not responded to other therapies."Crohn's is a debilitating disease that disrupts the q... [Read More]
Tracked on: April 26, 2008 9:36 PM | Permalink to Trackback