It is a lifelong condition where parts of digestive system become inflamed. The symptoms usually start in childhood or early adulthood. The main symptoms are diarrhoea, stomach cramps, bleeding from back passage, fatigue and weight loss.
There’s no cure for Crohn’s disease, but treatment can help reduce or control your symptoms. The main treatments are medicines to reduce inflammation in the digestive system – usually steroid tablets, or medicines to stop the inflammation coming back – either tablets or injections.
Around 1 in 5 people with Crohn’s will need major surgery in the first five years after diagnosis. You may be offered surgery if medicines are not controlling your symptoms, or if you develop severe complications. Surgery is an effective treatment option for many people. Many of the common surgeries for Crohn’s can be done by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery. Common types of surgery for people with Crohn’s are strictureplasty (widening of intestinal strictures), bowel resection (with or without a stoma), and surgery for abscesses and fistulas.