Q What kind of disease is Crohn's disease? Is it different from ordinary enteritis or ulcerative colitis?
A Crohn's disease is a chronic autoimmune disease in which inflammation can occur anywhere in the digestive tract (from mouth to anus). Ordinary enteritis is a temporary infection, and ulcerative colitis is confined to the colon mucosa, but Crohn's disease invades the full thickness of the bowel wall in layers.
Detailed Answer
Crohn's disease is a condition in which the immune system overreacts to gut bacteria and food antigens, explosively secreting inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and causing chronic inflammation throughout the full thickness of the bowel wall. The terminal small intestine (ileum) and colon are frequently involved, but it can also appear in the esophagus, stomach, and oral cavity, distinguishing it from ulcerative colitis, which is confined to the colon mucosa. The risk rises when a Western-style diet, antibiotic overuse, and stress reduce gut microbial diversity.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Korean medicine views Crohn's disease as "a state in which abdominal qi stagnates and damp-heat accumulates in the intestinal tract, damaging the mucosa." Using heat-clearing detoxifying and dampness-draining herbs to regulate the inflammatory environment of the gut, it aims at both mucosal recovery and immune balance.
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