People with Crohn’s disease whose condition is well managed and monitored generally have a typical life expectancy. That’s why diagnosis and effective treatment are so important.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic (long-term) condition that affects 1 million people in the United States, reports the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Anyone can develop Crohn’s disease, but it most often develops in young adults between 20 and 29 years old.

The majority of people with Crohn’s go on to live long and fulfilling lives. Treatment options have rapidly advanced in the past few decades, and new research continues to find new ways to treat Crohn’s effectively.

If Crohn’s disease is not diagnosed, or if it’s not being treated effectively, complications can result. In rare cases, these complications can be life threatening and fatal.

In this article, we examine those complications, what to look out for if you’ve received a diagnosis of Crohn’s, and how to maximize your quality of life when you have this condition.

Even when you do have complications from Crohn’s disease, the chances of them becoming life threatening are rare, especially if your Crohn’s is being treated. But severe complications are possible.

Complications from Crohn’s disease may include:

  • Malnutrition: Inflammation in your digestive tract can prevent your body from absorbing nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat. Children with pediatric Crohn’s disease are at a higher risk of this complication.
  • Gastrointestinal fistulas: Fistulas happen when inflammation from your digestive tract causes abnormal openings in your bowels. These fistulas can allow secretions to get through the lining of your intestines. They can also become infected.
  • Abscesses: An abdominal abscess is a swollen pocket of infection. Inflammation from Crohn’s can go through the walls of your intestines and lead to painful abdominal abscesses.
  • Ulcers: Ulcers are open sores in your body that can become infected. Sometimes inflammation from Crohn’s can cause ulcers.
  • Intestinal obstruction: Over time, untreated Crohn’s disease can cause the lining of your intestines to thicken and obstruct your bowels. This can make it difficult or impossible to pass stool. In severe cases, an intestinal obstruction can cause a health emergency and require surgery.

Although it’s not a direct complication of Crohn’s, people with Crohn’s disease are more likely to develop colon cancer. Ongoing treatment of Crohn’s disease can help lessen your risk.

When you have Crohn’s disease, managing your condition is key. Not only does treatment help with symptom management and pain, but it also helps you avoid severe complications.

Your treatment plan will vary according to your doctor’s recommendations and your personal health history. In general, best practices for people with Crohn’s disease include:

  • Regular doctors’ visits: When you have Crohn’s, you’ll need to seek medical attention from a team of specialists who are familiar with your diagnosis and treatments. Regular doctors’ visits can ensure that potential complications from Crohn’s are caught early and don’t progress to a point where they could be dangerous.
  • Colonoscopies and cancer screenings: People who have Crohn’s are at a higher risk of intestinal and digestive tract cancers. You may need additional testing so that if you do develop cancer, treatment can begin right away to give you the best outlook.
  • Dietary guidelines: People with Crohn’s may need to eliminate certain foods from their diet to decrease inflammation in their bowels. Your doctor can help you develop a diet plan that best manages your inflammation.
  • Immunomodulators: These prescription medications can reduce your immune system’s response to certain triggers, which can help you avoid Crohn’s flare-ups.
  • Biologics: A doctor may prescribe prescription medications called biologics to help put Crohn’s into remission. These medications are sometimes used if your condition doesn’t respond to more conventional treatments.
  • Surgery: In some cases, Crohn’s disease can require surgical intervention. Your doctor will develop a contingency plan for when the surgery should take place and the factors involved in your condition that would make the surgery necessary.

Here’s more information about healthy aging with Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition, but it doesn’t necessarily affect your life expectancy.

More and more people are effectively managing their Crohn’s with the help of medications, doctor’s monitoring, and dietary adjustments. In cases when complications do arise, early diagnosis and interventions can keep them from becoming severe.

Talk with a doctor if you suspect that you have Crohn’s or that your Crohn’s is not being managed effectively.