Write an article based on this "Know the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease. Recognize less common symptoms of Crohn's disease. Know when to seek medical advice. Undergo tests to confirm the diagnosis."
The symptoms of Crohn's disease are similar to those of other intestinal disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms may come and go and can vary from mild to severe. They will differ from person to person, depending on what part of the gastrointestinal tract is infected. Some of the most common symptoms include:   Diarrhea: The inflammation that occurs in Crohn's disease causes cells in the affected areas of your intestine to secrete large amounts of water and salt. Because the colon can't completely absorb this excess fluid, you develop diarrhea.  Abdominal pain and cramping: Inflammation and ulceration may cause the walls of portions of your bowel to swell and eventually thicken with scar tissue. This affects the normal movement of intestinal tract contents through your digestive tract and may lead to pain and cramping.  Blood in your stool: Food moving through your digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue to bleed, or your bowel may also bleed on its own.  Ulcers: Crohn's disease begins as small, scattered sores on the surface of the intestine. Eventually these sores may become large ulcers that penetrate deep into — and sometimes through — the intestinal walls.  Reduced appetite and weight loss: Abdominal pain and cramping and the inflammatory reaction in the wall of your bowel can affect both your appetite and your ability to digest and absorb food.  Fistula or abscess: Inflammation from Crohn's disease may tunnel through the wall of the bowel into adjacent organs, such as the bladder or vagina, creating an abnormal connection called a fistula. This can also lead to an abscess; a swollen, pus-filled sore. Aside from the above mentioned symptoms, people with Crohn's disease may experience other, less-common side effects such as joint pain, constipation and swollen gums.  People with severe Crohn's disease may experience fever and fatigue as well as problems that occur outside the digestive tract, including arthritis, eye inflammation, skin disorders, and inflammation of the liver or bile ducts. Children with Crohn's disease may have delayed growth or sexual development. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms:  Feel faint or have a fast and weak pulse. Severe stomach pain. Unexplained fever or shaking chills lasting more than a day or two. Repeated vomiting. Blood in your stool. Ongoing bouts of diarrhea that don't respond to over-the-counter (OTC) medications. If your doctor suspects that you might have Crohn's disease, he/she may refer you to a gastroenterologist (digestive system specialist) to undergo different diagnostic tests. These may include:   Blood tests: Your doctor may suggest blood tests to check for anemia, which is a common side effect of Crohn's disease (due to blood loss).  Colonoscopy: This test allows your doctor to view your entire colon using a thin, flexible, lighted tube with an attached camera. With the camera, the doctor will be able to identify any inflammation, bleeding or ulcers on the wall of the colon.  Flexible sigmoidoscopy: In this procedure, your doctor uses a slender, flexible, lighted tube to examine the sigmoid, which is the last 2 feet (0.6 m) of your colon.  Barium enema: This diagnostic test allows your doctor to evaluate your large intestine with an X-ray. Before the test, barium, a contrast dye, is placed into your bowel by way of enema.  Small bowel X-ray: This test uses x-ray to examine the part of the small bowel that can't be seen by colonoscopy.  Computerized tomography (CT): Sometimes you may need a CT scan, which is a special x-ray technique that provides more detail than a standard x-ray. This test looks at the entire bowel as well as at tissues outside the bowel that can't be seen with other tests.  Capsule endoscopy: If you have signs and symptoms that suggest Crohn's disease but the usual diagnostic tests are negative, your doctor may perform capsule endoscopy.