fibromyalgia. This condition is difficult to diagnose but it is characterized by widespread muscle pain and tenderness.
Why This Affects Black Americans
The lack of diagnosis of Crohn’s disease affects Black Americans in several ways. The first issue is that the illness is a chronic one and will only get worse if it’s not treated. That explains why statistics show that most Black people get diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at a later stage because their symptoms have gotten too severe to ignore.
Additionally, Black Americans can end up having surgery as their only option to treat the disease while other ethnicities would have been able to explore medication and other non-invasive treatments.
It is also important to note that some conditions that co-exist with Crohn’s disease are more prevalent in the Black community. For example, Black Americans are almost twice as likely as other ethnicities to develop rheumatoid arthritis.
When being treated for other conditions, it’s also possible for doctors to still ignore that you might have Crohn’s disease. It makes matters worse that some of their symptoms can overlap. That’s why it’s important for you to make note of all your symptoms and when they started.
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The Symptoms You Should Tell Your Doctor
Crohn’s disease isn’t the same for everyone as the symptoms can vary in presentation and severity. To make matters worse, you’re likely to have flare-ups where the symptoms get worse temporarily because you were exposed to a trigger.
Some of the common symptoms of Crohn’s disease include stomach cramps, fever, chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, and watery diarrhea. As the condition progresses, you may also have constipation, swelling in the eyes, joint pain, rectal bleeding, and tender bumps under the skin.
You should always tell your doctor about any health changes that you experience. If you can document when they started or what may influence them, that would also be helpful. Given that Crohn’s disease can co-exist with certain other conditions, it’s worth talking to your doctor about being assessed for it if you’ve been diagnosed with any of the illnesses on this list.
It’s not usually hard to diagnose Crohn’s disease once your doctor has ruled out other digestive issues. However, a lot of Black Americans remain undiagnosed because some doctors still believe that they’re not as likely to develop the condition. It will be up to you to advocate for yourself if you’re having symptoms that are typical of the illness.