How and why?

[jakelayla]

Hi, as I have only been diagnosed with this for two weeks, my head is full of hows and whys. I have a feeling stress may have started my illness, I used to grind my teeth and when I wore a night guard stopped. After that my stomach started clenching and all the symptoms started. If stress triggered it then combating stress will surely cure it. On the other hand my cousin has UC, and her son too, so maybe a genetic link. What do you all think? All the best.

[FRreedman]

Oh, If only!! I have had Crohn's disease for 51 years. I was 11 when it was diagnosed. It is a fact that stress and worry makes the symptoms worse, but it seems you have to be pre-disposed to the disease in the first place. Unfortunately there seems to be no rhyme nor reason as to how the disease originates, as most of the original thoughts have been disproved. I hope you have a stress-free, pain-free and symptom-free future, and wish you all the best. In reply to your actual question, I believe they will eventually find a genetic link, but only to make one pre-disposed towards the disease, and lots more studies are necessary to find out why and how the disease develops worse in some than others.

[jakelayla in reply to FRreedman]

Thank's for the reply FRreedman. I think I am trying to make sense of it all. I am 57 and have never been ill, always fit and healthy. So this takes some adjusting to. I feel grateful to have been told I have something I can live with...some poor folk can't live with their illnesses. Hope you feel well at the moment and stay well.

[Nurseonabreak]

Be thankful you only got it later in life.. you’ve had almost 6 decades of enjoyable healthy living! I was diagnosed at 28 with 2 small children and I have severe back problems on top of that. There is no cure but de-stressing will definitely help symptoms. It is manageable though there are some tough dark days along the way. Stay strong and positive! Good luck!

[bantam12]

I've had since I was about 12, that's 50 years ago 🙁 nobody else in my family had it, mine is probably autoimmune.

[Cazzer8282]

I have UC and my sister has Crohn's.We both have Endometriosis aswell.

I think there is a genetic link.

[jakelayla]

Yes Cazzer8282 I think there could be too. We seem to have bowel problems in our family. Hope you are well at the moment.

[Cazzer8282]

I'm o.k thank's Jakelayla.Unfortunately there is no cure for this horrible disease so we will always have our good and bad days.

Take good care.