“I have almost forgotten the taste of a fried banana, the beans, and milk products; if I do not follow a strict diet I destabilize my body, I suffer diarrhea, strong colic and I feel weak as if I were on the air,” warned the patient Alberto Farinas Placencia (64), who suffers Crohn disease.
This illness belongs to the group of intestine inflammatory affections, together with ulcer colitis and the indeterminate one, Crohn is a chronic suffering self immune that can affect the entire intestine and even its neighboring structures by fistulas.
The rate of incidence worldwide register from 3 to 20 sick people every 6, 000 inhabitants. However, the proportion which for some could represent a far away episode is the result of a prevailing rate of 25 times more compared to four decades ago.
Get to know the “enemy”
Causes are still unknown and scientists believe that in Crohn disease harmless bacteria and virus are attacked by the immunological system. During this alleged defense, the white corpuscles concentrate in the covering of the intestine, causing inflammation, which at the same time causes lesions, sore and ulcers in the mentioned zone.
“This affection is able to damage any segment of the digestive system. It is not inherited, but there are people who are born with this genetic predisposition that makes them be prone to suffer it, above all if they have pathological antecedents in first grade relatives,” said Doctor Francisco
Lorenzo Castillo, specialist of second grade in Medicine and Gastroenterology from the Provincial General Hospital Camilo
Cienfuegos from Sancti Spiritus, in Cuba.
So, this person created antibodies against any environmental agent: diet’s components, molecular structures or parasites.
That is why we talk about a self immune suffering. Among the factors that trigger this disease, the also Master in Diagnosis Means mentioned bad hygiene and diet habits as well as nicotine addition, a vice that contributes to the appearance of Crohn and complicated the patient’s condition.
Abdominal pain, fever, loss of weight, fatigue, lack of appetite, watery diarrhea, feeling the need to defecate, even though the intestine are clean and hemorrhage in the rectum are some of the symptoms that appear in sick people.
But this evil disease also leads to extra digestive difficulties. Patients can have lesions on the skin, changes in the liver, renal or ocular damages, problems in the articulations, in the biliary and excretory systems; besides, in the tests there we can read low levels of albumin, anomalies in the tests of hepatic functions, as well as the high count of the white corpuscles and the hemoglobin in dropping,” the specialist said.
Anemia, lack of essential nutrients (iron and Vitamin B12), intestinal obstructions, osteoporosis, low sexual and grow development in children and fistulas in the bladder are other problems too associated to the worsening of the disease.
Among the characteristics there are periods of welfare and of re-worsening of the symptoms by time. Those who suffer this disease have greater possibilities of colon and thin intestine cancer
What weapons do we have?
The period with greater risk to suffer this disease is since the adolescence to 35 years old; however, patients are many times prescribed in the fifth or sixth decade of life, because it is slowly progressively developed.
It can reappear a long time after being in the body; this is the reason why it is sometimes very difficult to diagnose, above all, due that many times we do not have the adequate technology. We carry out a clinical test, image studies to find alterations and endoscopic tests to the patient.
“Although we practice the biopsies, this test does not allow us get to a final diagnose due to its position. Nevertheless, the methods give us elements of support and, together with a meticulous monitoring, we can get to the right diagnose,” Castillo said.
Treatment responds, according to the source, to different periods, giving priority to a preventive job. Boil the water, fight against nicotine addiction and have a diet rich in vegetables. These are practices that give great probabilities to be healthy.
“After we diagnose the disease we prescribe general and specific measures according to the health situation of the patient. Any of the drugs represent a definite cure for the illness, but we prescribe intestinal anti-inflammatory pills, steroids, antibiotics and immune depressors to guarantee as soon as possible the welfare of the patient.”
Other treatments are used in other countries called biological therapies and hyperbaric oxygenation and there is also the surgery; which is in the exact moment. We never use it if there is a response with another procedure.”
The patient should regulate the portions of food, eat enough calories, proteins and nutrients from the different types of food, dream a lot of water during all day, avoid fat, beans, pop corns, artificial seasoning, reduce milk products and all that can harm the affected person are among the precautions to guarantee welfare.
According to Castillo, “the psychological support of the family is an irreplaceable element for the patient, because stress situations can speed the illness and some feel limited to perform every day.”
Castillo also said the restructuration of gastroenterology consultation has been an alternative for a better way of life of those suffering a syndrome that establishes goals every day for international medicine.
“Since 200 we founded a space to treat Inflammatory Disease of the Intestine. We have specialized supervision on a group of patients diagnosed and others (the majority) are alleged to suffer this evil illness. The last ones will stay with us all the necessary time, because in the future there can appear characteristics that can assert they are carriers of Crohn disease.
“Observing their evolution means to have a better life for them. It is also guarantee, because, before, patients came to us in a critical situation because the affection was very advanced. We have now won the field,” he stressed.
