DB Silent disease is disease that does not have the overt symptoms that make a patient feel poorly. This is a fairly well-established concept in medicine. Perhaps the best example of a correlate to silent Crohn's disease is silent ischemia in the context of heart disease.
But it's also common to have no symptoms (silent Crohn's) when the disease affects the small intestine. If your initial symptoms are silent, the next common signs of Crohn's could include more serious effects like: Intestinal blockage. Infection or abscess.
Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Silent IBD
Estimates for the prevalence of silent IBD vary widely depending on the diagnostic criteria and testing utilized. Of the studies that have attempted to directly assess this, values have ranged between 19% and 57% of all IBD patients.
It may go undiagnosed for years, because symptoms usually develop gradually and it doesn't always affect the same part of the intestine. Other diseases can have the same symptoms as Crohn's disease. But doctors can diagnose Crohn's by doing a test that looks at the inside of the intestine and doing a biopsy.
The symptoms can come on gradually, but they can also show up suddenly. And these can include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in your stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite and weight loss.
You might still have Crohn's or Colitis even if your endoscopy didn't find anything: You might have Microscopic Colitis. This is another form of IBD, which can only be diagnosed after a healthcare professional has taken a look at samples from your bowel under a microscope.
At present, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis cannot be diagnosed through simple blood tests. However, blood tests are still very important as they may be supportive of the diagnosis and can also be used to monitor the activity of your disease.
Gastroenterologists almost always recommend a colonoscopy to diagnose Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. This test provides live video images of the colon and rectum and enables the doctor to examine the intestinal lining for inflammation, ulcers, and other signs of IBD.
IBD is a lifelong (chronic) condition. A few patients find their disease becomes milder (“burned out”) after age 60, but many do not.
Many asymptomatic patients with an incidental diagnosis of Crohn's disease can probably be followed-up without immediate treatment. Although the majority remain asymptomatic and without complications during follow-up, close monitoring for disease progression is prudent.
Symptoms of mild Crohn's disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Without treatment, mild Crohn's disease may become more severe and lead to complications. A doctor can help people with mild Crohn's disease manage their symptoms with a treatment plan.
Mild Crohn's disease (CD) is classified as those patients who are ambulatory, with <10 % weight loss, are eating and drinking without abdominal mass, tenderness, obstructive symptoms, or fever, and endoscopically they have non-progressive mild findings.
A person with Crohn's disease may notice a yellow coating on their stools. This coating is mucus, which helps the stools pass through the intestines, and it is no cause for concern if there are no other new symptoms.
Episcleritis is a common eye-related disorder for those with Crohn's disease. Episcleritis is the inflammation of the episclera, which is the tissue between the outermost layer of the eye and the white part, or sclera, underneath. Symptoms include: tenderness to touch.
If they think you could have Crohn's disease, a GP may refer you to a doctor called a gastroenterologist for tests to confirm the diagnosis. Tests you may have include: a colonoscopy – a thin, flexible tube with a camera at the end is inserted into your bottom to look for inflammation in your bowel.
Not everybody who has part of their bowel removed needs a stoma. Sometimes, surgeons join the cut ends of the bowel back together straightaway. If you need surgery, your surgeon will talk to you about your options. There are different types of stoma.
Diarrhoea is a common symptom of Crohn's and Colitis. Some people also experience constipation. You may continue to experience diarrhoea or constipation even when your Crohn's or Colitis treatment is keeping your other symptoms under control.
So, most people think that everyone who has Crohn's is skin and bones. But Crohn's disease doesn't always cause weight loss. Sometimes, it causes the scale to go up. One study found that 40 percent of people with Crohn's had a body mass index in the overweight or obese range.
Causes of Crohn's disease
a problem with the immune system (the body's defence against infection) that causes it to attack the digestive system. smoking. a previous stomach bug. an abnormal balance of gut bacteria.
Most commonly, Crohn's affects your small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine. However, the disease can affect any part of your digestive tract, from your mouth to your anus.
The pain from Crohn's disease is most often found in the RLQ or the middle of the abdomen. But in more rare cases, such as with gastroduodenal CD, it may be higher up in the abdomen or spread out and change location. Rectal pain is a common sign of ulcerative colitis.