Can Crohn's disease be inherited by the next generation?

Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
Updated on April 01, 2025
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The causes of Crohn's disease are not yet fully understood, but it is currently believed to be caused by the interaction of many factors, including environmental factors, genetic factors, infections, gut microbiota, and immune factors. The incidence of Crohn's disease in first-degree relatives of patients is significantly higher than in the general population. Therefore, it is considered that Crohn's disease is both a polygenic disease and a genetically heterogeneous disease. Individuals with genetic susceptibility may develop the disease under certain environmental influences. Thus, it appears that Crohn's disease has a certain genetic predisposition and can be inherited by the next generation. The typical symptoms of Crohn's disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Generally, the course of the disease progresses slowly, often presenting a chronic active phase alternating with remission, tends to be incurable, and has a lifelong tendency to recur. Currently, there is a lack of effective curative treatments for Crohn's disease. The primary approach is drug treatment to control the activity of the disease, maintain disease remission, prevent complications, and avoid intestinal damage.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
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Can people with Crohn's disease eat eggs?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, and patients can eat eggs. The principle of the diet is to eat small meals frequently and keep it low in fat, eating more vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and yams. Avoid cold, spicy, and gas-producing foods such as chili peppers, radishes, leeks, and soy products. Crohn's disease can easily affect joints, skin, and other organs, and the course of the disease tends to be recurrent and is not easy to cure completely. The current treatment principle primarily involves medication combined with surgical treatment to prevent complications, with a focus on rest, a high-nutrition, low-fat diet, and correcting electrolyte imbalances.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Does Crohn's disease have a genetic component?

Crohn's disease has a certain genetic predisposition, but not all cases of Crohn's disease are inherited from one generation to the next. Current research indicates that its occurrence is related to environmental factors, immune factors, and genetic factors, with a higher incidence in males than in females. The prevalence of Crohn's disease is not particularly high in China. Symptoms are primarily abdominal pain, diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, and nutritional disorders. Some cases may also involve complications such as iridocyclitis, clubbing arthritis, oral mucosal ulcers, and chronic hepatitis. It is important to rest adequately and adjust your diet, favoring frequent light meals, low in fat and high in calories.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
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Can Crohn's disease be transmitted between spouses?

Firstly, Crohn's disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted between people. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease related to autoimmunity. The cause is still unclear, and currently, the medical community does not know what causes it. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, and abdominal masses. A colonoscopy can definitively diagnose this disease. Under colonoscopy, longitudinal deep ulcers can be seen on the mucosa of the intestines, which can be diagnosed as Crohn's disease. Currently, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of Crohn's disease, and treatment is very challenging and prone to relapse. Therefore, there is no particularly good treatment method or effective cure for this disease in the medical community at present.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Can Crohn's disease be seen on a CT scan?

Crohn's disease cannot be determined solely by CT scans. A CT scan can be used to assess the general situation, which should then be combined with personal clinical symptoms, routine stool tests, and ideally, colonoscopy and blood tests to make an accurate diagnosis. Crohn's disease is an idiopathic disease, currently thought to be related to genetic factors, and inevitably linked to individual immune factors and dietary habits. A definitive diagnosis can be made through colonoscopy and pathological examination. Care should be taken to avoid consuming raw, cold, hard, spicy, and irritating foods.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What does Crohn's disease abdominal pain feel like?

Crohn's disease is an inflammation that occurs in the intestines, most commonly found in the terminal ileum and the right half of the colon. Due to the irritation from the inflammation, there is noticeable abdominal pain, which often presents as cramping, and sometimes as dull pain. The severity of the abdominal pain varies with the intensity of the inflammation. In addition to abdominal pain, symptoms may include diarrhea or manifestations of intestinal obstruction. Due to damage to the intestinal wall, complications such as intestinal perforation or rectal bleeding can occur, as well as fever and extraintestinal manifestations like malabsorption disorders. Crohn's disease tends to recur frequently and has a protracted course. It is not easily cured, and thus, strengthening daily care is essential.