Dysfunction of the intestine

Dysfunctions of the intestinal tract are the typical symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Watery diarrhea that persists for a long time and abdominal cramps are the leading symptoms in most patients. However, constrictions in the bowel caused by scar tissue as it heals an inflamed area can sometimes lead to constipation.

Diarrhoea is generally referred to when more than three watery or slimy defecations with or without blood, which together weigh more than 200-300g, occur in the course of one day (24h). Chronic diarrhea is the typical symptom of Crohn’s disease along with abdominal pain. Characteristic of Crohn’s disease is the watery consistency of the stool and the duration of diarrhea, which can last from days to weeks.

Slimy diarrhea in Crohn’s disease is possible, but less frequent than the typical watery diarrhea. Bloody diarrhea, especially when the diagnosis has not yet been made, is more likely to indicate ulcerative colitis, another chronic inflammatory bowel disease than Crohn’s disease. Patients with Crohn’s disease lose a lot of fluid and protein due to the diarrhea.

This is why they often lose weight. Flatulence and constipation are rather untypical symptoms of Crohn’s disease. They occur much less frequently than the characteristic diarrhea.

The chronic inflammation of the bowel and the subsequent healing process leads to scarring in the bowel. These scars can form constrictions (stenoses) in the bowel that hinder the passage of stool. Constipation and flatulence are the result.

In extreme cases, these constrictions can lead to acute constipation with intestinal obstruction, which must be treated surgically. If abscesses and fistulas have formed in the rectum or anal region as a result of the disease, these also represent an obstacle to the passage of stool and cause constipation.Bloody diarrhea is a typical symptom of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that only affects the colon. Blood in the stool is rather untypical for Crohn’s disease. However, in Crohn’s disease, the inflammation of the bowel can lead to the development of ulcers of the bowel wall, which can sometimes cause blood in the stool. Other causes of blood in the stool in Crohn’s disease are fistulas and abscesses of the anal region, which become noticeable by fresh blood in the stool.