Chronic fatigue has been linked to multiple illnesses or disorders so it can be hard to know which one to be concerned about when you’re tired all the time.
While health professionals often suggest issues such as anemia, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, have you considered that the source of the problem could be in your stomach? Crohn’s disease usually has fatigue as one of its symptoms.
What’s Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s is characterized as a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and it includes inflammation throughout the digestive tract. While the specific area of the digestive tract that is affected may vary from one person to another, the disease often causes inflammation in the deeper parts of the bowel.
Though almost 800,000 Americans have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, doctors still have not identified definitive causes.
However, if you have a family history of IBD or abnormal immune system responses, those could be a factor. Other areas that could influence Crohn’s disease include being younger than 30, smoking regularly, and the consistent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Ethnicity has also be pinpointed as a factor of interest, though that data is still be assessed. Caucasians are considered to be most at risk but there are rising cases of Crohn’s disease in the African American community.
Typical Symptoms Of The Disease
It’s not always to identify Crohn’s disease because the symptoms can be mild sometimes. There are also times when the disease may fall into remission then flare up again. The symptoms that you should look out for are:
- Bouts of or persistent diarrhea
- Persistent fever
- Chronic fatigue
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Blood in the stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Pain or drainage near or around the anus due to inflammation from a fistula
- Inflammation of skin, eyes, and joints
- Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
- Kidney stones
- Anemia
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure to check in with your doctor as untreated Crohn’s disease can cause severe complications. With no treatment, you may end up dealing with malnutrition, ulcers, bowel obstruction, blood clots, arthritis, kidney stones, gallstones, and liver disease.
General Treatment Options
To determine the right treatment options for you, your doctor will use a few common testing methods. These methods are blood tests, imaging tests, and an endoscopy. Once you’ve been diagnosed, you might be prescribed different medications.
For example, corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs will help to combat the disease’s main characteristic.
You may also be prescribed anti-diarrheal drugs, antibiotics, or medications that will modify the immune system. A new treatment option is the use of biologic drugs that are more targeted than other medicines. They are often used to bring severe Crohn’s disease into a state of remission that can then be easily maintained.
The most invasive form of treatment is surgery and up to 75% of those who are dealing with Crohn’s disease will need one. One procedure involves removing the affected area of the bowel while another addresses parts of the rectum that have become diseased. Of course, these don’t cure the disease. They only alleviate the symptoms for short period.
In addition to medical interventions, persons with Crohn’s disease often benefit from making changes to their diet and exercise routines. These changes will not only make living with the disease more bearable, but they can also reduce the likelihood of a flare-up.
Even if Crohn’s Disease isn’t the reason behind your chronic fatigue, the symptom should never be ignored.
In a few cases, your tiredness may be caused by something simple like stress but there are some serious illnesses that can be the problem as well. It’s always best to get your doctor involved as soon as possible.