Although many people who receive an ileostomy find
that their Crohn’s disease successfully goes into remission, when a person has
a Crohn’s flare up, they experience inflammation within their digestive track
which leads to pain, discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, and many other
unpleasant symptoms. If flare ups happen
often, many people try to find different ways to naturally treat the disease
instead of relying on drugs. One natural
treatment method for treating stomach disorders is aloe vera.
It has been scientifically proven that aloe vera is a
natural anti-inflammatory. It is the
belief of many medical and scientific researchers that a natural
anti-inflammatory is safer and has a better effect on the body than a synthetic
anti-inflammatory. The reason is because
natural anti-inflammatory treatments appear to target various inflammatory
responses, instead of only targeting one as is the case with many synthetic
types.
In addition, a natural anti-inflammatory is usually
gentler on the body and does not wreak havoc on the immune system causing the
negative side effects often resulting from prescription anti-inflammatory meds
that are typically recommended for Crohn’s disease.
What is
aloe vera?
Aloe vera (Aloe
barbadensis) is the most common form of the aloe plant and it has been used
as a medicinal treatment for centuries, starting with the Ancient
Egyptians. The only part of the aloe
plant that is used for medicinal purposes is the sap and the gel located within
the leaves. The sap is better known as
aloe latex.
How is
aloe used as a treatment?
Aloe can be used in two different ways. The first, and most common, is to externally
treat skin wounds caused by dryness, cuts or burns. Gel is applied to the injured area and
provides pain relief, sooths the skin and promotes healing.
The second form of treatment is when aloe is ingested
to treat internal problems such as constipation, stomach disorders, diabeties,
and many other problems. Sometimes aloe
vera is even used to aid in digestion.
When taken internally, aloe is available in powder and liquid forms.
Aloe
latex and Crohn’s disease
Although aloe is generally safe when used
externally as a gel, ingesting aloe, especially aloe latex when you suffer from
Crohn’s disease is contraindicated. Aloe
latex is an extremely powerful laxative and is contraindicated with Crohn’s
because it decreases the effectiveness of any medication that is taken with it
simultaneously.
Aloe latex will cause other medications to move
through the digestive track far too quickly to have any effect as
treatment. In addition, aloe latex is
not generally used as a laxative to treat constipation due to the fact that it
often causes painful cramps in the abdomen.
Aloe latex has other risks including:
·
It is habit-forming
·
Prolonged use of aloe latex will require higher doses
to work effectively which eventually leads to permanent damage to the
intestinal muscle.
·
Large doses result in kidney damage
·
Aloe latex is not safe for pregnant women or mothers
who are breast feeding.
Even
though aloe latex is not an ideal treatment for Crohn’s, ingesting another form
of aloe, such as aloe gel may be an alternative. Nevertheless, always check with your doctor before using aloe vera to treat Crohn’s
disease. Furthermore, you can always
ask your doctor about other alternative treatments that may be effective.
There are also many more resources and lots of information
about controlling and treating Crohn’s Disease symptoms here Breakthrough Crohn's Disease Guide.
