Tips for Crohns disease Flare ups.

Living with any chronic disease can be a challenge, and Crohns disease 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 Crohns 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, whether youre smoking them yourself or if your family members or friends are. Another major risk factor for Crohns 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 Crohns flare ups. Things like yoga or meditation 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. Read “Coping with Crohns disease” for further tips on how to reduce the effects of the disease on your life.

Another possible trigger for Crohns disease is a womans menstrual cycle. Many women who suffer from Crohns experience an increase in flare ups during their period. Its recommended that women who experience this keep a diary over a period of months to look for trends and help develop a treatment regime with your doctor to put an end to the association of Crohns and your period.

The use of some over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) have also been linked to Crohns disease 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, namely drug treatment, nutritional adjustments and surgery. A fuller discussion on the range of treatments is available at the Crohns Bowel Disease website.

The most common drugs to treat Crohns are anti inflammatories, such as Sulfasalazine. This drug has shown to work for a majority of Crohns sufferers, but it’s not a cure all. And as with all drugs, there are side effects such as nausea, vomiting and headache.

If you have moderate to severe Crohns, 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 Crohns flare ups. This course of action is geared to those that dont want to put medications into 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 dont 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 Crohns 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 the intestine doesnt cure the disease, but may be necessary if that area becomes too deteriorated by ulcers. It should be used as a last resort.

You can access many more resources and lots of information about controlling and treating Crohn’s Disease symptoms by clicking here.

This article is meant to provide general information and is not to be taken as medical advice on the treatment of Crohns disease. You must seek professional advice from a doctor or health care professional on the correct diagnosis and treatment of Crohns disease.