In this video from Lee Health,  Linsey Fry talks to Michael Bays, a gastroenterologist for Lee Memorial Health System. He explains that Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease whereby the immune system attacks the intestines causing chronic pain.

Find out what it’s like growing up with an inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr. Bays discusses the fact that while a quarter of cases of Crohn’s disease are familial, some studies have found that the rest may be due to a virus which activates the immune system. The studies have also found that certain proteins in wheat products could be responsible for the cause of the disease. Because of this, Dr. Bays recommends that Crohn’s patients follow a gluten-free diet to help manage symptoms and that they get tested for celiac disease.

Study finds that wheat protein may cause or aggravate inflammatory bowel disease. Discover more.

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