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Crohn’s disease: the symptoms, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with it
For anyone who has had weeks of diarrhea, belly cramps and weight loss, anyone just told they have Crohn’s disease, and anyone living with it or caring for someone who is. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says Crohn’s disease is a chronic disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation in the digestive tract; that it comes in flares, with periods of remission between that can last weeks or years; and that about 1 million people in the United States have it. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the symptoms and when it cannot wait, what may play a role and who gets it, the tests, medicines and why to avoid NSAIDs, bowel rest, surgery, cancer screening, and food and supplements. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- A lot of blood from your rectum, or blood with dizziness or fainting: call 911 (ours). NIDDK says Crohn’s disease can lead to bleeding that is life-threatening.
- Severe belly pain, a swollen belly with vomiting when you cannot pass stool or gas, or a high fever with belly pain? Go to the emergency room now, and say you have Crohn’s disease (ours). NIDDK says a blockage in the intestines can be life-threatening.
- Thinking about suicide, or in a mental-health crisis? Call or text 988 (ours). NIDDK says stress, depression and anxiety are common with Crohn’s disease.
More help
- Other belly troubles: An upset stomach: find the right page · Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) · Celiac disease · Lactose intolerance · Diverticulitis · GI bleeding.
- Body and mind: Depression · Anxiety · Osteoporosis · Arthritis · When you want to quit smoking.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When you need food · My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on NIDDK’s Crohn’s Disease pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed July 2024). Ours: calling 911 for a lot of blood from the rectum, or blood with dizziness or fainting; the emergency room for severe belly pain, a swollen belly with vomiting when you cannot pass stool or gas, or a high fever with belly pain; 988 for thoughts of suicide or a mental-health crisis; calling your care team when a flare starts; that ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin are NSAIDs, and not stopping or changing a prescribed medicine on your own; tracking a child’s height and weight; health centers, food banks, SNAP and patient assistance programs when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: brand names, the names and doses of steroids, immunosuppressants, biologics and antibiotics, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.