Why Parents of Tweens Should Know About Crohn's Disease

Crohn's Disease is one form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), the other being Colitis. The reason that parents need to know about it is that Crohn's usually hits when the sufferer is young, anywhere from the tween years up until the twenties. How do I know so much about this disease? My older son was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 12 years old.

Since the disease usually begins this early, more parents should be given information on its symptoms. It is a shame that Crohn's disease is something you rarely hear about until somebody you know is already diagnosed with it. Before I get into the symptoms, you should know that Crohn's disease:

  • Is not fatal
  • It is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, usually the small intestine
  • There is no cure
  • There are medications to help control symptoms and some patients spend many years in remission
  • All of the medication that work come with side effects
  • The cause of Crohn's disease is still unknown

For the rest of the article, including my son's story, go to Why Parents of Tweens Should Know About Crohn's Disease





More Like This