2023-06-14 17:18:00
Severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting – and often for weeks: Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that usually occurs in flares and is not yet curable. People between the ages of 25 and 35 often develop it. In Germany, the incidence of the disease is six per 100,000 inhabitants. Genetic factors play a role in the development of Crohn’s disease. Smoking also promotes the disease.
Evaluations by the AOK Ulm-Biberach show that the number of treatments in the district of Biberach among AOK-insured persons has increased continuously over the past five years. An average of almost three percent per year. Since 2017, the number of patients with Crohn’s disease has increased from 293 to 338. Most of those affected (52 cases) are between 50 and 54 years old.
“The symptoms can be similar to appendicitis with colicky lower abdominal pain, a slightly elevated temperature and diarrhea,” says Sabine Hawighorst-Knapstein, doctor at the AOK Baden-Württemberg. The disease usually progresses in phases. The symptoms are not limited to the gastrointestinal tract, but can also affect other organs such as the skin, joints, eyes and liver.
Various examination methods are available for a reliable diagnosis. These include, among other things, gastroscopy and colonoscopy, removal of tissue samples, imaging such as ultrasound, laboratory and bacteriological examinations. There is currently no cure for Crohn’s disease. However, medication can alleviate the symptoms and prolong the symptom-free phases. Depending on the severity of the disease and its course, surgical measures may also be necessary. “The treatment also provides for the prevention of smoking,” says the doctor. “A low-lactose diet and the compensation of nutritional deficiencies help a third of those affected in order to avoid growth disorders, especially in adolescents.”
Patients with gastroenterological diseases, such as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, can take part in the AOK specialist program specializing in gastroenterology. More information at aok.de/pk/bw/facharztprogramm–gastroenterologie.
#intestines #chronically #inflamed