Crohn’s disease comes under the category of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and it is the Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Generally Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract. You can hope to lead a fullest life with Crohn’s disease with the wide range of treatments available. Cleveland Clinic states that an estimated half a million Americans have Crohn’s disease. 

Platforms like Medditour connect the patients seeking for treatment for Crohn’s disease with the global hospitals and facilitators so as to enable them to obtain affordable treatments on time.

In this article, let’s explore about causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments of Crohn’s disease and how medical tourism could help it.

Crohn’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

Crohn’s disease is very common in both men and women and there are no specific reasons behind the causes for Crohn’s disease. Few causes include,

• Smoking: Smoking causes the risk of getting prone to Crohn’s disease higher.
• Auto Immune Disease: Here, the body’s immune system attacks the healthy cells in the digestive track causing the Crohn’s disease.
• Genes: Researches state that the risk of getting prone to Crohn’s disease increases due to heredity. When a family member has Crohn’s disease, it is likely that you might get it.

Patients suffering from Crohn’s disease might experience very mild to severe symptoms which might include pain in the abdomen, fever, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, rectal bleeding, etc.

If you are experiencing such unexplained symptoms, it is better to consult the doctor to identify the root cause of the problem through diagnostic methods and get yourself treated. Blood tests, stool test, colonoscopy, CT scan, upper GI endoscopy, and upper GI exam are some of the tests conducted to precisely diagnose Crohn’s disease.

Treatments for Crohn’s Disease

In general, treatments depend upon how severe the symptoms and causes for the disease. Similarly, there are several options for treating Crohn’s disease depending upon the severity of the condition. NHS states that there’s currently no cure for Crohn’s disease, but treatment can control or reduce the symptoms and help stop them coming back. Some of the treatments include,

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics help in managing the disease by curing the infections that are caused in the digestive tract. When the infections are not treated, they might even cause pus formations.
• Medications: Medications are prescribed to stop the symptoms like fever, diarrhea, etc. that arise out of Crohn’s disease. Drugs such as immunomodulators are used to reduce the inflammation caused due to the auto immune disease.
• Bowel Rest: In order to allow your digestive tract to heal, you might need to go for an IV nutrition, which is given through feeding tube.
• Corticosteroids: The corticosteroids are taken for easing the discomfort due to the inflammation caused by the auto immune disease, which could help in managing Crohn’s disease.
• Surgery: Surgeries do not give complete cure for Crohn’s disease. But, they can help curing the bleeding, holes or perforations in the digestive tract, and blockages, if any.

Medical Tourism and Crohn’s Disease

Medical tourism can offer several benefits for patients who suffer due to Crohn’s disease by helping them manage the symptoms and live their fullest life.

• Specialized treatment: Medical tourism destinations like India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Dubai, and Turkey offer the specialized diagnostic and treatment facilities which may not be available in a person’s home country.
• Affordability: Medical tourism can be an affordable option for individuals who may not be able to afford to get treated for the disease in their motherland.
• Decreased wait times: In some countries, the wait times for treatment for Crohn’s disease might be higher compared to other countries, allowing individuals to receive treatment more quickly.
• Treatment with vacation: Medical tourism can offer an opportunity for individuals to combine their treatment with vacation which can be beneficial for their overall wellbeing. Companies like Medditour offer facilities to combine their treatments with vacation by connecting them to healthcare providers and facilitators for best treatment and comfortable accommodation. By availing a vacation after the treatment / surgery, the patient would feel relaxed at the exotic destinations.

In conclusion, Crohn’s disease is one of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and has no cure. Wide range of treatments is available to help patients suffering from Crohn’s disease so as to enable them manage the condition and lead their life to the fullest extent. Medical tourism can offer an affordable and accessible option for individuals seeking treatment for Crohn’s disease.