Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic or lifelong condition that makes parts of the digestive tract become inflamed². Together with Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s is part of a group of diseases called Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD. Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to injury, infection or irritation. When the bowel is inflamed, it can cause unpleasant and distressing symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and the passage of blood and mucous through the back passage.

The doctors at Virtually Healthcare can provide treatment for Crohn’s disease, refer you to an NHS specialist team and support you to live an active and fulfilling life with Crohn’s.

Crohn’s disease causes symptoms that can come and go over time. Symptoms worsen during ‘flare ups’, but there may be periods of ‘remission’ when you have no problems.

Crohn’s can affect any part of the digestive tract from your mouth through to your anus. Your symptoms will depend on the part of the bowel that is inflamed. The features include:

• Abdominal pain and cramping.
• Diarrhoea.
• Mucous, blood or pus mixed in with the diarrhoea.
• Tiredness: The illness can cause fatigue. However, the weight loss, anaemia and sleep disturbance from getting up in the night to go to the toilet can also contribute to the feeling of exhaustion.
• Feeling unwell: You may feel feverish and weak.
• Mouth ulcers
• Reduced appetite and weight loss: Diarrhoea, decreased absorption of food nutrients, and loss of appetite can all contribute to weight loss.
• Anaemia: Anaemia can make you tired, listless and lacking in energy. You may also find that you’re weak and may get dizzy or even faint.
• Leakage: Crohn’s disease can lead to fistula formation. A fistula is an abnormal communication between the bowel and the skin, bladder, vagina or other structures. Bowel contents can leak through the fistula, causing abscesses, urine infections, leakage and unpleasant discharge.³

Virtually Healthcare is an innovative GP practice, providing expert care in your home’s comfort, safety, and privacy. The Virtually Healthcare service is designed to fit with modern lives. Consultations are easy to access, discreet and convenient, with virtual appointments available seven days a week.

The highly skilled team includes more than 40 clinicians working together to investigate and treat disease and help you optimise your health and wellbeing. As well as experienced GPs, the team includes sexual health specialists, physiotherapists and practice nurses to offer a comprehensive primary care service.

During the pandemic, many patients are finding it more challenging to access healthcare. Virtually Healthcare provides quick access video or telephone appointments, with consultations available the same day if you contact us before 3 pm. Our clinicians can provide professional assessment and advice, arrange investigations, prescribe treatment or arrange for a face-to-face review.

At Virtually Healthcare, our focus is on you. Our clinicians take a holistic approach to IBD treatment. They can arrange investigations, provide support and advice, follow NICE best-practice treatment guidelines⁴ and guide you to reliable information about Crohn’s disease.

One of Virtually Healthcare’s GPS reports on the questions and concerns that they are currently seeing in their consultations.

Self-help can be very helpful in controlling Crohn’s disease, helping you live a fuller, freer life. Check out the linked information resources and chat with your medical team so that you become an expert in monitoring and managing your condition:

• Track your symptoms: Get to know your bowels and your body. Identify flare-ups at an early stage so that you can access treatment before the inflammation becomes severe.
• Identify triggers: Flare-ups can be caused by stress, medication changes, infections, antibiotics and even food. Try and work out your triggers so that you can avoid them in the future.⁹
• Avoid NSAIDs Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can cause flare-ups in some people; stick to paracetamol for pain relief.
• Quit smoking: Smoking can trigger Crohn’s and make you more likely to need surgery.
• Stressbusting: Stress can increase IBD symptoms. Try relaxation exercises, breathing techniques, meditation or cognitive behavioural therapy to help you manage the stress in your life more effectively.
• Monitor your diet: A food diary can help you identify items that worsen your symptoms. Some patients have found that avoiding gas-producing vegetables like beans and broccoli, cooking vegetables well, limiting high-fibre foods and reducing greasy and fast foods can help.
• Reduce or avoid caffeine and alcohol, which may make symptoms worse.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are different bowel conditions. They have some similar symptoms, including pain, change of bowel habit and passage of mucous, but there are significant differences in bowel health and treatments.

• IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. There is a disturbance in bowel function but no significant changes in the structure and health of the bowel. IBS causes abdominal pain, cramping and bloating together with diarrhoea and constipation.
• IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These are diseases with destructive inflammation of the bowel, which can be seen on sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy and biopsy. Chronic inflammation can lead to structural changes to the bowel and can increase the risk of bowel cancer. IBD causes bowel disturbance, pain, rectal bleeding, the passage of mucous, malaise and weight loss. Crohn’s disease can lead to fistula formation ( abnormal communications between the bowel and the skin, bladder, vagina or other structures.) IBD treatments are often powerful and can be toxic. They target inflammation and are not effective in people with irritable bowel syndrome.