Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are usually mentioned together, though their signs and symptoms, at least in theory, are clearly distinct.

Quite typical is the relapsing course. Ulcerative colitis begins in the rectum and spreads toward the colon. She remains confined to the Crohn’s disease can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. Also related to the wall of the intestine shows the infestation with ulcerative colitis, a bit less comprehensive: this is affecting only the intestinal mucosa in Crohn’s disease the whole bowel wall.

For the patient, almost unbearable, the Blutauflagerungen with persistent diarrhea and colic with resulting weakening of the general body. Ulcerative colitis can also run fairly mild.

… and body

About the complaints of the intestine also can occur in chronic inflammatory bowel disease (mechanical mixer) symptoms in other body regions. This is usually attributed to autoimmune reactions and / or consequences of chronic infection. Known problems of the skin (erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum), eyes (uveitis). But the bile ducts (primary sclerosing cholangitis), and the pancreas, the pancreas may be affected (biliary pancreatitis).

Most frequently, however, joints and bones can be affected very common (osteopenia loss of bone mass) and osteoporosis (deterioration of bone structure), less frequently arthralgia, arthritis, and spondyloarthropathy synovitis.

Treatment

In the treatment, there is also little clarity as to the cause. Are used depending on the strength of the thrust and activity various means. Is usually used mesalazine or sulfasalazine, at short notice if required to cortisone. In severe cases they are also long immunosuppressive agents such as azathioprine or methotrexate and cyclosporin.

Show these drugs do not have enough effect, it is possible to treat them with so-called biologics. These drugs are similar in structure to endogenous substances that are involved in the immune response against infections. They are, for example, several times – is given every few weeks – as an infusion. Often, the inflammation comes to a stop, damage to the intestinal mucosa can heal. Some operations and related hospitalizations are prevented.

The treatment, in particular with the latter drugs should only be performed by experienced physicians. Surgeries and antibiotics are considered unsuccessful procedures.

In individual cases, other methods could also show the complementary medicine, good results. Sun seems to be a change of opinion of the milieu in the gut by harmful bacteria concentrate sometimes cheap (can not that means), and a supply of harmless pig whip worm (Trichuris suis) is conceivable. Psychotherapy supports the management of illness-related stress.

Men and women are equally affected, the peak in incidence is between 20 and 30 Year of life. The real figure is estimated to be significant, since many patients – for example, because of complaints outside of the intestine – a long time to remain undetected or misdiagnosed.

Causes an enigma

Despite massive efforts – which are chronic inflammatory bowel disease a major field of research for the pharmaceutical industry – there is still no reliable knowledge about the causes of IBD. This argues for a multifactorial etiology. Unwanted immune reactions in question come within the intestinal mucosa, a genetic predisposition, environmental factors or chronic disorder of the permeability of the mucosa due to inflammation caused by bacteria.

However, the hypothesis of an infection is not enough, even a psychosomatic reaction is now believed less strongly. The lack of so-called defensins – antimicrobial peptides that are local – could also play a role, bacteria must overcome a barrier. A familial predisposition seems certain genetic factors are certainly causes for the mix.

The breakthrough has not existed, however, it continues to exist only tesserae to a statement.