Living with
any chronic disease can be a challenge, and Crohn’s is no exception. The
extremely painful flare-ups make day-to-day living seem impossible and when the
disease is in remission, the stress of worrying about the next one can be
almost as bad. So, how do deal with these flare-ups when they happen?
A Crohn’s
flare-up is usually associated with the onset of symptoms such as fatigue,
joint pain, weight loss, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding, a loss of appetite
and diarrhea.
The first step is being able to recognize
the risk factors involved in dealing with flare-ups. Maybe the easiest risk
factor to avoid is exposure to tobacco products, weather you’re smoking them
yourself or if your family members or friends are. Another major risk factor
for Crohn’s flare-ups is stress. While it’s impractical to think that you can
remove stress from your life completely, making a concerted effort to try to
limit the amount of stress can seriously reduce the amount of and severity of Crohn’s
flare-ups. Things like yoga or medication or even just making time in your
schedule to read a good book can be great ways to relax and stave off the
stress monster.
Another possible trigger for Crohn’s
disease is a woman’s menstrual cycle. Many women who suffer from Crohn’s
experience an increase in flare-ups during their period. It’s recommended that
women who experience this keep a diary over a period of months to look for
trends and help develop a treatment regiment with your doctor to put an end to
the cycle.
The use of some over the counter drugs such
as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) have also been linked to Crohn’s
flare-ups. If you need a non-prescription pain killer, consult your doctor to
see what kind is right for you.
Treatment for these flare-ups fall into
three basic categories: drug treatment, nutritional adjustments and surgery.
The most common drug to treat Crohn’s are
anti-inflammatories, such as Sulfasalazine. This drug has shown to work for a
majority of Crohn’s sufferers, but it’s not a cure-all. And like with all
drugs, there are side effects such as nausea, vomiting and headache.
If you have moderate to severe Crohn’s, the
FDA has approved a drug called Remicade. The drug actually blocks the bodies
inflammatory response. This drug is only used for patients who don’t respond to
more traditional treatments.
Nutritional supplements are another common
way to deal with Crohn’s flare-ups. This course of action is geared to those
that don’t want to put medications in their bodies and are looking for a more
natural alternative. Foods to avoid, such as spicy foods, whole grains and
dairy products are a good first step. Drinking high protein shakes to make up
for the fact that a patients intestines are so ravaged so that they don’t
absorb nutrients anymore is another common way to help treat the disease. These
are especially common in kids who need nutrients to grow.
A large number of Crohn’s patients will
need surgery at some point to deal with the long-term effects of the disease.
Sufferers are warned, however, that removing a section of intestine doesn’t
cure the disease, but may be necessary if that area becomes to deteriorated by
ulcers. It should be used as a last resort.
There are also many more resources and lots
of information about controlling and treating Crohn’s Disease symptoms here Breakthrough Crohn's Disease Guide.
