Crohn’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Digestive HealthCrohn's Disease

What Is Crohn’s Disease?

What Is Crohn’s Disease?
Everyday Health
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Updated on February 25, 2026
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What Is Crohn’s Disease?

Ira Breite, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Health System, discusses Crohn’s disease.
What Is Crohn’s Disease?
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What Is Crohn’s Disease?
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What Are Some Treatments for Crohn’s Disease?
How Do You Get Properly Diagnosed for Crohn’s Disease?
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What’s the Difference Between Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis?
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Crohn’s disease is a chronic digestive disorder that causes inflammation in and damage to the digestive tract.

It belongs to a group of conditions collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Crohn’s disease most commonly affects the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine (colon), but inflammation can occur anywhere in the digestive tract.

Though Crohn’s disease has no cure, many Crohn’s treatments can help manage its symptoms.

Most people with Crohn’s disease go through periods of remission (when they have no symptoms) and flares (when symptoms worsen).

Types of Crohn’s Disease

Doctors may categorize Crohn’s disease into several different types based on the area of the digestive tract that it affects:

  • Ileocolitis This is the most common type of Crohn’s disease, which affects the end of the small intestine (ileum) as well as the large intestine (colon).
  • Ileitis This form of Crohn’s disease affects only the ileum.
  • Gastroduodenal This form affects both the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum).
  • Jejunoileitis Patches of inflammation affect the upper half of the small intestine (jejunum) with this type of Crohn’s disease.
  • Crohn’s colitis This form affects only the colon.

Signs and Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Nearly 1 out of every 100 people in the United States has IBD, including Crohn’s disease, and different people may experience the condition differently.

Crohn’s disease symptoms depend on what areas of your bowel are affected, as well as how advanced the disease is and how well your treatments are working.

Most people with Crohn’s disease experience inflammation in both their small intestine and their colon, which often causes early symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain or cramping.

Other common digestive symptoms include:

  • Rectal bleeding
  • Loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting
  • Weight loss
  • An urgent need to defecate
  • Diarrhea (or a change in bowel movements)
  • Infections or drainage around the anus
  • Mouth ulcers and gum pain

Crohn’s disease can also cause symptoms outside of the digestive system, such as:

Many people with Crohn’s disease may also have signs of:

Perspectives
Portrait of a person
Myra
Living with Crohn’s disease
“I’m on an antidepressant, which I hate. … But I know I have to be on it because this disease gets to you. Sometimes you have bad days. And that antidepressant reduces the amount of bad days you have.”
Transcript Available

Causes and Risk Factors of Crohn’s Disease

The exact causes of Crohn’s disease are unknown.

It may be caused by an autoimmune reaction. Some evidence suggests that the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy bacteria that grow naturally in the human gut.

Experts believe that a combination of genetic and environmental factors contribute to a person's risk of the disease.

Some risk factors for Crohn’s disease include:

  • Genes While no one gene can be said to cause Crohn’s disease, scientists have identified more than 200 genetic variations that may raise the risk of the disease.

  • Family history Crohn’s disease appears to run in families. About 15 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have a parent or sibling who has it.

  • Where you live Crohn’s disease is more common in developed countries than developing ones. It's also more common in urban than in rural areas and in northern climates rather than southern climates.

  • Being a smoker Crohn’s disease is more common in people who smoke cigarettes than nonsmokers. Plus, smoking may lead to a more aggressive course of the disease, as well as a higher risk of complications, relapses, and surgical intervention.

  • Certain drugs Antibiotics, birth control pills, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve) — may slightly raise your risk of Crohn’s disease.

How Is Crohn’s Disease Diagnosed?

When diagnosing Crohn’s disease, a doctor may first request a complete medical and family history, ask about your symptoms, and conduct a physical exam. During the physical exam, the physician will check for bloating or painful or tender spots in your abdomen, as well as for weight loss or any inflammation in other parts of your body.

The doctor may also order tests to:

  • Determine how severe the inflammation is
  • Locate where in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract the inflammation is
  • Rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis
No single test can diagnose Crohn’s disease. The type of tests a doctor orders may include:

  • Blood tests
  • Stool tests
  • Colonoscopy
  • Upper GI endoscopy
  • Wireless capsule endoscopy
  • Imaging tests like X-rays, bowel ultrasound, computerized tomography scans, or magnetic resonance imaging scans

All of these elements together can help a doctor diagnose Crohn’s disease.

Treatment and Medication Options for Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease treatment generally involves both short- and long-term medications. Surgery might sometimes be necessary. Complementary treatments may work for additional symptom management.

Medications

Medication options may include:

  • Anti-inflammatory medications This includes steroids, such as prednisone and budesonide. Steroids are often a first-line, short-term treatment to help with symptom management.


  • Immunosuppressants These medications aim to suppress an overly active immune system in the GI tract.

     They may include azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), mercaptopurine (Purinethol, Purixan), and methotrexate (Trexall).

  • Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors JAK inhibitors are newer nonsteroidal medications that may also help reduce inflammation by targeting parts of the immune system related to intestinal inflammation.

     Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) is the only JAK currently approved to treat Crohn’s disease.

  • Biologics These medications target proteins made by the immune system and include infliximab (Remicade), ustekinumab (Stelara), vedolizumab (Entyvio), and risankizumab (Skyrizi).

  • Antibiotics During a flare-up, a doctor will assess whether an infection may be the cause rather than Crohn’s disease itself.

     If a bacterial infection is causing your symptoms, they may prescribe an antibiotic.

Even if medications help you achieve remission, maintenance therapy is important with Crohn’s disease. Stopping the medication and having untreated Crohn’s disease may increase the risk of relapse, surgery, and other complications.

Surgery

For some people with Crohn’s disease, a time may come when medication alone won’t be enough, and surgery may be required. In fact, up to 75 percent of people with Crohn’s disease may need surgery at some point in their lives.

Surgical treatments may include removing a diseased area of the intestines, opening a narrowed or blocked area, or surgically draining abscesses.

Even with surgery, Crohn’s disease complications may recur. The best way to prevent this is to follow surgery with maintenance medication therapy.

Complementary Treatments

Complementary therapies (in addition to the medications mentioned above) may also help to manage symptoms.

Some complementary therapies may include:

  • Mind-body practices like yoga, acupuncture, and exercise

  • Vitamins, minerals, and supplements to address any nutritional deficiencies

  • Probiotics to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome

However, some complementary therapies may negatively interact with medications, and it’s important to always discuss any additional treatments with a healthcare professional before trying them.

Lifestyle Changes for Crohn’s Disease

There’s no single diet recommended for Crohn’s disease. In general though, a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, monounsaturated fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates as well as minimizing processed foods and sugar is thought to be most beneficial.

You may find that certain dietary changes to avoid trigger foods may reduce uncomfortable symptoms during flares, such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Foods that may trigger symptoms include:

  • Foods high in fiber, such as raw kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and asparagus
  • Foods that contain lactose, such as cow’s milk or ice cream
  • Foods high in fat, like butter or cheese
  • Spicy foods
  • Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners
  • Added sugars and high-sugar beverages or foods, such as baked goods or maple syrup
  • Caffeinated beverages
  • Alcohol

It may help to keep a food diary to determine which foods cause flare-ups and which ones you can eat without an increase in symptoms.

You can also try spacing out several smaller meals and drinking plenty of water.

Minimizing your exposure to pollutants in your environment, such as cigarette smoke and air pollution, may help decrease the risk or severity of flare-ups.

And when you feel up to it, low-impact exercise can not only help protect against complications from Crohn’s disease but also relieve stress and support your mental health. That said, it’s best to limit exercise during flares and wait until your energy returns.

Crohn’s Disease Prognosis

Crohn’s disease is not fatal, and people with the condition can live a full, long life.

Though there is no cure, treatments and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms during a flare. The length of a flare-up varies from person to person but can last anywhere from a couple of days to several months.

If a flare is left untreated, it can cause lasting complications and permanent damage, so it’s important to work with your doctor on a treatment plan. Complications may also lead to a slightly higher mortality risk.

Limiting complications can lead to a reduction in symptoms and long-term remission.

Long-term remission can last for months or even years, but much depends on a person’s individual health and risk factors.

Complications of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease can lead to a number of GI tract complications, including:


  • GI tract issues, such as blockages caused by built-up scar tissue
  • Ulcers or fistulas (when the ulcers go through the intestinal wall)
  • Colon cancer
Additional complications in the body may include:


Crohn’s disease and its complications may also lead to increased stress and anxiety.

Complications can also arise during pregnancy, such as low birth weight, premature labor, or miscarriage.

The Takeaway

  • Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammation in the digestive tract that has no cure but can be managed with various treatments, leading to periods of remission.
  • Symptoms can vary, often including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Early and consistent intervention can help extend remission and improve quality of life.
  • Treatments range from medication to surgery. Complementary treatments and lifestyle adjustments may also help, but any changes should be discussed with a healthcare professional first.
  • Untreated Crohn’s disease may lead to severe complications, highlighting the importance of consistent medical follow-up and adherence to prescribed treatments.

Additional reporting by Jordan M. Davidson and Chris Doka.

FAQ

Who is commonly affected by Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease can affect people from all ethnic backgrounds, and though it’s more common in white people, rates are rising among Hispanic and Asian people. It is most commonly diagnosed in adolescents and adults between ages 20 and 30, but it can be diagnosed at any age.

 It may have a second peak of diagnosis in older adults.

While people will experience Crohn’s disease differently, early signs may include diarrhea and abdominal pain or cramping. Other common symptoms include rectal bleeding, nausea, loss of appetite, an urgent need to use the bathroom, and diarrhea.

There is no single best diet for Crohn’s disease. It’s best to try to identify the trigger foods that cause flare-ups and speak to your doctor about which foods you may need to avoid.

The first step in testing for Crohn’s is a physical exam and a full medical history.

Based on the results of your history and physical, further testing to diagnose Crohn’s can include blood tests, stool tests, colonoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, wireless capsule endoscopy, and imaging tests.

The ongoing inflammation that comes with Crohn’s can lead to a number of complications. One common digestive issue is an intestinal blockage, which occurs when inflammation causes scar tissue to build up and constrict an area of the intestines. Other complications include abdominal abscesses, anal and vaginal fistulas, anemia, and nutrient deficiencies.

Resources We Trust

Cleveland Clinic: Crohn’s Disease
Mayo Clinic: Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation: What Is Crohn’s Disease?
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Crohn’s Disease
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Crohn’s Disease Basics

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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Yuying Luo, MD

Medical Reviewer

Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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Lindsey Konkel is an award-winning freelance journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering health, science, and the environment. Her work has appeared online and in print for Newsweek, National Geographic, Huffington Post, Consumer Reports, Everyday Health, Science, Environmental Health Perspectives, UCSF Magazine, American Association for Cancer Research, and others.

She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at Environmental Health News. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from NYU’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program and a bachelor’s degree in biology from College of the Holy Cross.

Konkel lives in Haddon Township, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, three cats, and dog. When she isn't writing, she handles social media and content marketing for a small veterinary clinic she started with her husband, Neabore Veterinary Clinic.

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