They are often required when there is a flare up of thedisease or a complication is suspected. Blockage occurs because the disease tends to thicken the intestinal wall with swelling and scar tissue, narrowing the passage. Crohn's disease also may tunnel through affected bowel into surrounding tissue such as the bladder, vagina, rectum, anus or skin. These tunnels, called fistulas, are common and can become infected. Treatment may involve medication and sometimes surgery.
Nutritional complications are also common in Crohn's disease.
These are due to problems with dietary intake, inability to absorb important nutrients and side effects of medications used to treat this disorder. Some patients may develop kidney stones. An important complication that patients develop quite commonly is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become porous, increasing the risk of dangerous bone fractures. Osteoporosis can be detected by a simple test.