Disease Origin, What Causes Crohn’s?
Why some people develop Crohn’s disease while others don’t is still an open question. Researchers have some theories and have identified a few risk factors, but there’s no single cause, and no one thing you did or didn’t do is to blame.
Crohn’s is not your fault
This is the most important thing to know in this chapter: Crohn’s is not caused by anything a person did, not by what you ate, how stressed you were, or any choice you made.
What Scientists Think Is Going On
In people with a genetic tendency, the immune system seems to treat the normal microbes living in the gut, the trillions of tiny helpful bacteria in your digestive system, as if they were a threat. That sets off inflammation that doesn’t switch back off.
An older idea was that a single virus or bacterial infection triggers Crohn’s. That is not how researchers see it today. The focus has moved to the everyday gut bacteria and how the immune system responds to them.
Known Risk Factors
Even though the exact cause isn’t known, researchers have identified certain things that can make Crohn’s more likely to develop.
Genetic factors
Where and how you live
What about stress, diet, and smoking?
Nothing you ate caused this. Stress and food don’t cause Crohn’s. They can, however, make symptoms worse during a flare-up, which is why later chapters talk about how to eat and manage stress well when you’re living with Crohn’s.
Smoking is the exception. It does make Crohn’s more likely and makes the disease harder to control.