Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from symptoms of an ‘invisible disease’ that has now been linked to a common skin condition suffered by millions worldwide.
The research, conducted at Uppsala University in Sweden, was published this week and examined the link between psoriasis and having a ‘leaky gut’.
This is a condition that makes you more open to bacteria and harmful substances leaking through the lining of your intestines and making you sick.
From there, the problems with leaky gut and psoriasis have now been linked to the so-called “invisible” condition known as Crohn’s disease, with those suffering from leaky gut and psoriasis being more open to this disease.
The research explains that the presence of leaky gut in a person’s digestive system may explain why psoriasis sufferers often have gastrointestinal problems.
As a result, they are more likely to develop the “invisible” disease known as Crohn’s disease.
Because it happens inside your body and can’t be seen by anyone else, Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect someone anywhere in their digestive tract.
We’re talking from your mouth to the other end.
It is similar to ulcerative colitis, another inflammatory bowel disease that is limited to a person’s colon and rectum and usually affects the entire region.
On the other hand, Crohn’s disease can become inflamed in just one part of the digestive tract, while the rest of the tract remains healthy.
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease can occur in flares for weeks or months at a time, especially if you’re not on treatment.
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of Crohn’s disease include diarrhea, which can come on suddenly. You may also experience stomach pain and cramps, usually in the lower right part of your stomach.
You may also have blood in your stools, tiredness (fatigue), and weight loss. However, you may not have all of these symptoms, the NHS points out.
Other symptoms that people may experience include a high temperature; feeling and being sick; joint pains; sore, red eyes; patches of painful, red and swollen skin that are usually on your legs; and mouth ulcers.
You should book an appointment with a doctor if you or your child have:
- blood in your poo;
- diarrhoea for more than seven days;
- frequent stomach aches or cramps; and / or
- lost weight for no reason, or your child is not growing as fast as you’d expect.