Because of the ever developing world of modern medicine, it is easy for a number of us to take a variety of medical ailments a little too lightly. Despite the many marvels and definitive breakthroughs in modern science, there are still a lot of viruses, bacteria and other disease causing agents that are still not mastered and that number continues to grow by the day. Before getting into the details of whether celiac disease and crohn's disease can exist simultaneously in the same individual, one must first understand what these conditions are in their separate states.
Crohn's disease is a disorder that is characterized by the inflammation of the digestive tract. This condition can affect any organ that plays a role in the digestive system from the mouth to the anus. The most commonly affected part is the lower part of the small intestine - known as the ileum. The effect it has on the affected individual is that the swelling will cause a certain amount of pain - causing the bowel to empty more frequently - thereby causing diarrhea. Most cases of the condition have seen patients affected by Crohn's disease also have a blood relative that suffers from some kind of inflammatory bowel disease making it a condition that tends to run in families.
Although the primary cause of the condition is not yet known, there are a number of theories for the same. The most widely accepted one is the body's immune system tends to react differently in people with the condition mistaking good bacteria and food as being foreign substances - causing the body to attack them while they are in the intestines. celiac disease on the other hand is a condition characterized by the damage of the small intestine and causes a great deal of interference with the absorption of nutrients from food. People that suffer from this condition are known to react specifically to a substance called gluten that is widely found in rye, barley and wheat. The reaction of the body when it encounters the substance is to destroy the villi - which are small, fingerlike protrusions that line the inside of the small intestine. This results in a perpetual state of malnourishment, irrespective of the amount of food that the individual consumes. There are a number of cases in which patients suffering from Crohn's disease also suffer from celiac disease. In fact, medical experts agree that celiac disease is highly prevalent in people that are also suffering from crohn's disease.
answered by G M