Crohn's Disease Research Paper

A disease in which the bowel becomes inflamed is known as Inflammatory Bowel disease. It refers to two inflammatory conditions- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis only affects the colitis, but Crohn's disease is more complicated than ulcerative colitis. Crohn's disease is the chronic inflammation of any part of gastrointestinal tract and involves all the layers of bowel wall. The genetic factors, immune system disorders, environmental factors (air, food, etc.) are the main causes of Crohn's disease.
Symptoms:
The symptoms of Crohn's disease depend on the severity of the inflammation. These may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, weight loss, night sweats etc.
Diagnosis and Testing: The first step to identify Crohn's disease is the physical exam. The physician collects the information about the
Side effects: The common side effects are nausea, decreased appetite, constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion.
Steroids:
Steroids are used to treat moderate to severe Crohn's disease. They are commonly used when patient is hospitalized to reduce the chronic symptoms. They can be given orally, intravenously or rectally as suppositories or enemas. The commonly used oral steroids are prednisone (Deltasone) and methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol).
Mode of action: Steroids work by affecting the immune system. It helps to control the inflammation in the GI tract by shutting down the entire immune system.
Side effects: The indefinite use of steroids can lead to long term side effects such as includes thinning of skin, easy bruising, osteoporosis, hypertension, cataracts. The short term side effects may include weight gain, mood swings, acne, hair loss, increased appetite, increased risk of infections, and higher level of glucose.