Blacks, especially in the U.S. and the U.K.
3. Heavy Smoker
Although not fully understood, cigarette smoking is a major risk factor in developing Crohn’s. This may be due to the way the chemicals in cigarettes affect the environment of your digestive tract. When you smoke, you’re inhaling all kinds of carcinogens, which are known to increase inflammation and disrupt healthy bacteria in your gut.
If you’re a heavy smoker or recently started smoking heavily, look out for sudden symptoms such as cramping, stomach pain, nausea, malnutrition, and excessive fatigue.
4. Severe Complications
Many of the symptoms of Crohn’s can be managed because (1) they are not severe and (2) they come on slowly enough to address. However, if your issues seemingly ‘come out of nowhere,’ you may be experiencing a rapid onset.
Severe symptoms that require immediate medical supervision include:
- Consistent abdominal pain, discomfort, or cramps
- Rapid and/or unexplained weight loss
- Diarrhea persisting for a week or more
- Bloody stool
Because Crohn’s often complicates other conditions, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor to see if there’s a connection.
5. Major Lifestyle Changes
We all go through rough patches. Sometimes, we don’t realize how unhealthy we’ve been living until our bodies tell us in a big way. Have you made any recent and significant life changes? Did your diet change, including larger meals, a lot of dairy, or lots of caffeine? Have you been consuming alcohol excessively? Is your sleep schedule disrupted due to stress, a new job, or family issues?
In some cases, people may have had minor symptoms of Crohn’s for a long time but didn’t know it. They could have been masking the symptoms with substance use or abuse. Then, when they ease off the substances, their symptoms are no longer suppressed.
The main thing to remember about Crohn’s disease is that it can come in a spectrum of shapes and sizes. Your digestive tract is quite large and affects a significant portion of your body. Symptoms that you may think are unrelated may be caused by Crohn’s. This is why it’s always a good idea to seek medical expertise for recurring, unexplained issues.
But there’s no reason to stress needlessly! Lifestyle changes, medicines like antibiotics and steroids, and proper preventative measures can make living with Crohn’s easily managed.