Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease symptoms vary, depending on which part of your gut is affected, such as your mouth, stomach, bowel or bottom (anus).

Common symptoms include:

  • diarrhoea
  • blood or mucus in your poo
  • stomach pain
  • pain in your bottom (anus)
  • feeling very tired or generally unwell
  • loss of appetite and losing weight
  • in children, not growing as expected, or delayed puberty

The symptoms can be mild or severe. They usually come and go over time, called flare-ups and remissions. A flare-up can last from a few days to several months.

You may also have symptoms affecting other parts of your body, such as joint pain, sore eyes and skin rashes.

Symptoms most commonly start in teenagers and younger adults, but it can happen at any age.

If you're not sure it's Crohn's disease

Symptoms of Crohn's disease can be similar to other conditions that affect your gut, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease and coeliac disease.

But do not try to diagnose the problem yourself. Get medical help if you're worried.

See a GP if:

  • you think you could have Crohn's disease
  • you have Crohn's disease and your symptoms get worse or treatments are not helping

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

  • your poo is black or dark red
  • you have bloody diarrhoea

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

If a GP thinks you could have Crohn's disease, they may arrange blood tests and tests on a sample of your poo.

You'll need to be referred to a specialist in hospital for more tests to confirm the diagnosis and to start treatment.

Hospital tests you may have include:

There's no single test to diagnose Crohn's disease. It often takes time to get a diagnosis, as the symptoms vary and can be similar to other conditions.

Find out more

There's currently no cure for Crohn's disease. But there are treatments that can help you stay without symptoms for long periods (in remission).

The type of treatment you have will depend on your symptoms. You'll probably need different treatments over time.

You'll be supported by a team of healthcare professionals including a specialist doctor (gastroenterologist). You'll have regular check-ups and tests.

Medicines for Crohn's disease

Treatments to prevent or treat flare-ups include:

  • medicines to reduce inflammation in your gut, such as steroids, mesalazine or sulfasalazine
  • medicines to reduce the activity of your immune system (immunosuppressants), such as azathioprine or mercaptopurine
  • medicines that target your immune system (biological therapy), such as adalimumab or infliximab
  • medicines to help with symptoms, such as painkillers, laxatives or medicines to stop diarrhoea

Some people may be offered a special liquid diet (enteral nutrition) instead of medicines. This may be recommended for children or people who cannot take steroids.

Surgery for Crohn's disease

You might be offered surgery to treat Crohn's disease if your symptoms only affect certain parts of your gut, or if you have severe symptoms and medicines are not working.

Surgery may involve:

  • removing the damaged part of your gut and joining healthy sections together, called a bowel resection
  • removing part of your gut and bringing the end of your bowel through an opening made in your tummy (stoma), called an ileostomy or colostomy

You may also need surgery to treat any complications affecting your gut.

Surgery can work well to reduce symptoms. But there's a chance that symptoms will come back in another part of your gut after surgery.

The surgeon will explain the risks and benefits of the operation, and what will happen.

Find out more

If you have Crohn's disease, there are things you can do to help with the symptoms.

Crohn's disease can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients from your food, so it's important to have a healthy diet. But there's no clear evidence that a special diet or particular foods help with Crohn's disease.

Some people find that certain foods affect symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating or constipation, but this is different for everyone.

Do

  • eat a healthy, balanced diet – your healthcare team can give you dietary advice to make sure you get all the nutrients you need

  • try keeping a diary of your symptoms and things like what you eat, any changes in your medicines, or stress, to see if certain things seem to affect your symptoms

  • have vaccinations such as the flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine if you take medicines that affect your immune system – but check that the vaccine is suitable for you, as some types (live vaccines) may not be recommended

  • get a RADAR key if you need one, to unlock accessible public toilets – you can usually get one from a charity

Don't

  • do not smoke, as it can increase the risk of flare-ups

  • do not make big changes to your diet without getting advice from your healthcare team

  • do not take medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, unless they're recommended by a doctor

Find out more

It's common for Crohn's disease to cause complications. These can be serious, but getting the right treatment for your Crohn's disease symptoms will reduce the risk.

Over time, inflammation and damage to your gut can lead to:

  • a fistula, where a tunnel develops that connects your bowel to another part of your body, such as your bladder, skin or vagina
  • a tear or sore near your anus (anal fissure)
  • part of your gut becoming narrower (called a stricture), which can cause a blockage or make it more difficult for food to pass through
  • a hole in the wall of your bowel (perforated bowel)
  • bowel cancer – if you're at high risk you may be offered regular tests (colonoscopies) to check for this

Crohn's disease can also cause other complications, including vitamin deficiencies and problems with your joints, bones, skin, eyes, kidneys and liver.

Crohn's disease is a lifelong condition. It affects everyone differently. How it affects you depends on your symptoms, how well your treatment works, and whether you get any complications.

Some people have mild symptoms, meaning they need to poo more often and may have symptoms such as stomach pain. Others have more severe symptoms that affect their general health, or have serious complications.

Symptoms usually come and go, so you may have times when you feel well and times when your symptoms have a big impact on your daily life.

Crohn's disease and pregnancy

It's important to speak to a specialist if you want to try for a baby or find out you're pregnant.

You can usually have a healthy pregnancy if you have Crohn's disease. But if your symptoms are not well controlled, this can make it more difficult to get pregnant or cause problems in pregnancy.

You might need to change your treatment, as some medicines used for Crohn's disease are not suitable if you're pregnant. Some medicines can also affect male fertility.

Find out more

Symptoms of Crohn's disease are caused by a problem with your immune system, which causes it to attack part of your gut.

It's not fully understood why this happens. It's thought to be partly caused by the genes you inherit from your parents.

You may be more likely to get Crohn's disease if:

  • other people in your family have it
  • you smoke
  • you've recently had a stomach bug
  • you've had your appendix removed in the last few years

Crohn's disease can be a difficult condition to live with, both physically and emotionally.

If you or someone in your family needs help with daily living because of illness or disability, you may be able to get social care and support.

As well as support from your healthcare team, you may find it helpful to talk to other people with Crohn's disease, either at a local support group or online.

There are also national charities that can offer support and information about Crohn's disease.

Crohn's and Colitis UK

Information and support for people affected by Crohn's disease or colitis.

CICRA (Crohn's in Childhood Research Association)

Charity for children with Crohn's disease and their families.