The various Crohn's disease symptoms include mild to severe abdominal pain and cramps, chronic diarrhea that might contain blood, weight loss, fever and loss of appetite. These symptoms are most common in adults who suffer from the disease. Children, however, do not tend to experience these signs and symptoms; rather, they might suffer inflammation in the joints, slower growth and fatigue and weakness resulting from anemia.
Crohn's disease symptoms, which tend to come and go, can last for days or weeks and then suddenly disappear. Medical doctors are unsure of the cause of flareups, but people who treat the disease with all-natural medicines such as herbs and wholesome foods affirm that certain foods and drinks provoke flareups. Some Crohn's disease symptoms and signs are not actually caused by the condition itself but instead result from having suffered from earlier symptoms. For example, prolonged severe diarrhea, especially if it is bloody, can easily lead to malnutrition and dehydration.
The presence of other health problems, such as gallstones, infection of the urinary tract, insufficient absorption of nutrients or kidney stones, can greatly aggravate Crohn's disease symptoms. Inflammation of the joints, commonly known as arthritis, inflammation of the whites of the eyes and pus-filled sores on the skin are some additional problems that might be experienced. Some Crohn's disease symptoms can be experienced even during times when the condition has not flared up.
Inflammation of the pelvic joints, the back bone, the bile ducts and the inside of the eye can develop at any time, no matter whether the person is suffering a flareup. Although Crohn's disease symptoms experienced during flareups are not considered life-threatening in the opinion of most medical doctors, sufferers of this condition are at much higher risk for developing colon cancer. This is especially true for people who frequently experience severe and prolonged flare-ups.
The majority of physicians do not believe that there is a cure for the disease or any way to guarantee that flareups cease to occur. Many believers in alternative medicine, however, believe that Crohn's disease symptoms can be greatly reduced in frequency and severity, if not completely prevented. Strong emphasis is placed on the use of all-natural herbs with anti-inflammatory properties, such as chickweed, and on a highly nutritious diet consisting exclusively of wholesome and healing foods.
