Gutsy Walk
On Sunday, June 8th, 2014, Canadians coast to coast will walk united at the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s 19th annual Gutsy Walk, showing loved ones living with Crohn’s and Colitis that they are not alone. Teams and individual walkers will fundraise by collecting pledges from their friends, family and co-workers, for much-needed research and education to find cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the lives of children and adults affected by these chronic diseases.
The causes of Crohn’s and colitis are unknown. Researchers and the medical community are working hard to uncover the answers, but to date, we still do not know the actual cause of these diseases that afflict over 200,000 Canadians.
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms.
It primarily causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), vomiting, or weight loss, but may also cause complications outside the gastrointestinal tract such as anemia, skin rashes, arthritis, inflammation of the eye, tiredness, and lack of concentration.
Crohn's disease is caused by interactions between environmental, immunological and bacterial factors in genetically susceptible individuals. This results in a chronic inflammatory disorder, in which the body's immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract possibly directed at microbial antigens.
There is no known pharmaceutical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease. Treatment options are restricted to controlling symptoms, maintaining remission, and preventing relapse.