Can I expect a normal life if I have Crohn’s disease?

In most cases, Crohn’s disease does not have much impact on daily life, the ability to work or to enjoy an active social life. When it is active, symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain often require time away from work, college etc and make it difficult to cope at home or go out. However, treatment usually makes the symptoms better within days or weeks so work and home life is restored quite quickly. The chances of dying if you have Crohn’s disease are no different to if you don’t have the disease.

What can be done to prevent Crohn’s disease?

There is currently no evidence any particular change in diet or lifestyle can prevent Crohn’s disease. Not smoking, or stopping smoking, is perhaps the most important of all the things to do. Although not proven, it makes sense to eat a balanced healthy diet favouring freshly cooked food over processed foods.

What research is needed?

The cause of Crohn’s disease remains unknown. However, our understanding of how and why the condition develops is increasing all the time. In particular, researchers are looking into how the hereditary (genetic) aspects of Crohn’s disease might change the way the immune system in the intestine deals with bacteria and other dietary substances present at the surface of the gut. This is very important research and there is hope that it will, before too long, lead to much better treatments and maybe even a cure.