Because Crohn’s disease can lead to many other extra-intestinal complaints and ailments, this series will focus on additional problems or conditions that can happen with your disease. With a diagnosis of Crohn’s or colitis, the bowels often aren’t the only part of the body to have inflammation manifestations, the entire body is often involved in the suffering.

From top to bottom, Crohn’s disease and IBD can affect you anywhere. As I mentioned in two previous series, Crohn’s Complications and Beyond the Bathroom, there are many problems beyond the restroom. Complications can happen with any form of autoimmune disease, through symptoms, sickness or added complaints. Crohn’s disease is a host for many, many other troubles. Crohn’s patients, and all IBD sufferers, can experience extra-intestinal symptoms, and sometimes other problems manifest. Crohn’s disease and immune-suppressing medication weaken the immune response; so, getting sick is a risk.

Bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis often are just assumed as being “bathroom diseases,” or all about the poop. Usually, when IBD patients mention their diagnosis, the first assumption is that we suffer only in the restroom. It is commonly believed that our problems are only bathroom-related issues and it is assumed that once we “go” we are OK.

Extra-intestinal ailments include problems with the eyes, joints, skin, blood, inner organs and renal diseases. With any diagnosis, there are several ways it could affect your body, and these extra-intestinal ailments are a few of the symptoms IBD patients can face after diagnosis. This series will break down each category listed, with the risks explained.

Head: Some suffer migraines, fevers, eye inflammation, conjunctivitis, uveitis, blurred vision and redness. Patients may endure mouth sores, ulcers, gingivitis and dry mouth.

Joints: Problems such as joint pain, inflammation, arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, sacroileitis and osteoporosis may occur. Pain or numbness in the feet and hands can happen as well, with finger-clubbing or peripheral neuropathy and nerve damage.

Skin: Potential skin problems include erythema nodosum, or tender areas under the skin. Some patients suffer psoriasis and Sweet’s syndrome.

Inner organs: Liver, pancreatic or gallbladder diseases can occur. Patients also may suffer deficiencies in nutrients, jaundice and anemia with blood loss. Female Crohn’s disease patients can suffer changes in menstrual cycles.

Blood: As well as blood loss and anemia, Crohn’s patients are at risk for problems such as blood clots and sepsis.

Renal disease: Crohn’s patients can suffer from perianal disease, with abscesses and fistula problems, also kidney stone development and colon cancer.

The list of “what-if” problems for Crohn’s disease are endless. With any diagnosis, each person has individual and unique symptoms. Some people experience more problems than others, and just because one person has a symptom does not mean all IBD warriors will have it.