Living with Crohn’s Disease- Guest Post
This week we have a great guest postfrom Harley Petrina and Max Gottlieb of https://www.seniorplanning.org/discussing some background information and important knowledge about Crohn’sDisease and potential disease management tips in order to ensure thatindividuals newer to dealing with Crohn’s or friends/family/employers of individualswith Crohn’s disease have a better overall understanding of the condition and howthey can be most supportive. I hope you enjoy and learn something from thearticle below and would love to hear your thoughts or feedback.
Contrary to popular belief, Crohn’sdisease doesn’t just negatively affect the bowels. Crohn’s disease impacts theentire gastrointestinal tract. This means it can involve everything from thecolon to the mouth (canker sores/heartburn) and even the eyes. It is a chronic autoimmunedisorder, meaning the body mistakenly attacks healthy cells, which inflames andhinders the body’s digestion ability. As it is chronic, the disease involvessignificant lifestyle changes.
Prior to diagnosis, symptoms vary, buta person may notice things like abdominal cramps, frequent diarrhea, stunted ordelayed growth in children, fatigue, weight loss incongruent with diet, fever,and anemia. Also, it generally appears early in life, usually around 15 yearsold according to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Doctors think it may begenetic since oftentimes members of the same family are affected and itdisproportionately affects Jewish people.
To make matters more complicated,there is not simply one type of Crohn’s disease, which is why it can takeanywhere from nine months to two years to diagnose. There are five types,including Ileocolitis (the most common form), Ileitis, Crohn’s colitis,Gastroduodenal Crohn’s, and Jejunoileitis. Each type causes inflammation to adifferent part of the intestines and some can even lead to the formation offistulas. To diagnose, a doctor will perform a physical exam as well aslaboratory tests. Once diagnosed, treatment can begin. While there is currentlyno cure, treatment is necessary to control symptoms and complicationsassociated with Crohn’s.
Flare-ups are triggered by a varietyof factors, including medication changes, dietary variations, infections,illnesses, stress, and even changes in the type of Crohn’s disease itself. Forsome people, they can identify and avoid their trigger, but for others, thetriggers remain unknown.
The main thing is to have an idea ofwhat the standard symptoms are when the body is in remission, or in-betweenflare ups. Remission can last anywhere from days to years so it helps to takenote and track things like bowel movements, symptoms, food choices, andmedications during remission and during a flare up. TheCrohn’s & Colitis Foundation has even created a handy symptom tracker.
If yourdisease is becoming more active or you are experiencing a flare up, you shouldcontact your doctor at the first sign. The sooner the better so they can test to see ifthe flare up is being caused by an infection, or by any new medications orantibiotics. If the flare up cannot be reversed, the doctor may prescribe acourse of corticosteroids. Likewise, a flare up may also be signaling that yourcurrent form of treatment is no longer working against the disease. Forexample, if you are taking immunomodulator or biologic medications likeRemicade or Humira, your body may stop responding, which would be signaled by amajor flare. A doctor would perform tests to verify if this is the case and ifso, prescribe different medication.
Beyond Crohn’s specific pharmaceuticalmedications, dietary and lifestyle changes can also help improve remissiontimes and reduce the severity of flare ups.
- Avoid Nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen, commonlybranded as Aleve. These medications reduce the ability of the GI tract toprotect and heal itself, and can trigger a flare. Likewise, when taken in highdoses, these medications can cause ulcers as well as cause liver damage. If youare trying to reduce pain, take acetaminophen instead of NSAIDs.
- Quit Smoking. Full stop.Smoking is terrible for a variety of reasons, but it has been shown to be astrong risk factor for developing Crohn’s and is connected to flare ups. Forpeople with Crohn’s, quitting smoking is sharply linked with fewer flare ups anddecreased medication requirements.
- Implementing stressreduction strategies in your daily routine can help fend off frequent flareups. Although stress does not cause Crohn’s, stress is thought to beprecipitate a flare up. Reducing stress can take the form of breathwork, yoga,meditation, and even behavioral therapy.
- Although diet also doesnot cause Crohn’s disease, some people report that certain foods worsen theirCrohn’s symptoms. Many people eliminate things like dairy or greasy foods.Elimination diets can help increase remission times or reduce the symptomsassociated with a flare up. Caffeine, alcohol, foods that cause gas, and foodsthat are too high in fiber should also be eliminated or eaten in moderation,especially during a flare.
The unpredictable nature of Crohn’sdisease makes it an incredibly hard disease to cope with, both emotionally andphysically. Although it can be extremely difficult, it is helpful to let familyand friends know what you are going through with Crohn’s disease. Many peopleare unfamiliar, so educating them will allow them to be supportive when thereis a flare up. Since the disease is chronic, employers should also be awarethat you may have to take time off due to flare up symptoms. Although it seemsembarrassing, being open up-front will let others know what to expect and canmake your life drastically easier during a time when your body is feelingterrible.
(Max Gottlieb is thecontent manager of Senior Planning. Senior Planning is a free Arizona service designed to help seniorsmake the transition into new living arrangements or find the benefits they need.)
If you arestruggling with the food management portion of your Crohn’s Disease please feelfree to reach out to myself at https://dancesportdietitian.comor any other Registered Dietitian with experience and knowledge of Crohn’s Disease.
Wishing you a healthy rest of your week,
–Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDN
Denver’s Dancing Dietitian
A Taste of Health, LLC
“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”