How to Avoid Crohn's Flare Ups

Crohn's disease is a highly uncomfortable and unpleasant disorder that results in inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. The swelling resulting from Crohn's causes diarrhea and pain. It is one of several inflammatory bowel diseases. While there is no known cure for Crohn's disease, the symptoms can be managed somewhat successfully for many sufferers. A patient may need to try several measures to determine what is effective in preventing flare-ups for him.

Things You'll Need

• Food diary

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Instructions

• 1

  Schedule a physician's visit when you have a gastrointestinal problem that does not dissipate quickly. A specialist may have to be consulted to obtain an accurate diagnosis of Crohn's disease or some other problem. The doctor will likely begin you on a regimen of anti-inflammation medications which will help reduce flare-ups.

• 2

  Allow your physician to try different types of drugs to control your Crohn's disease. She may prescribe antibiotics if there is an overgrowth of bacteria in your intestine. A drug called infliximab may be given to block inflammation. Other possible drug therapies to help control Crohn's are steroids, cortisone and immune system suppressing medications. You may have to try several medications before finding ones that work for your particular case.

• 3

  Consider nutrition supplements to aid in warding off Crohn's flare-ups. Liquid nutrition may help to give the intestines time to "rest" from the rigors of the disease. Rarely, a patient will even undergo intravenous feeding for a period of time to get extra nutrition when the intestines are not absorbing enough food due to the disease.

• 4

  Keep a food diary so you can identify if there are certain foods which provoke flare-ups for you. While there are no known foods which trigger symptoms in everyone, many patients believe specific foods such as onions, cream sauces or fried foods lead to flare-ups for them.

• 5

  Cut down on your dairy consumption. Many Crohn's sufferers find that reducing the amount of dairy they consume helps to control gas, diarrhea and cramping episodes. You may also suffer from lactose intolerance in which case lowering dairy consumption is doubly beneficial.

• 6

  Steam or bake vegetables rather than eating them raw. While fiber intake is generally beneficial to everyone, your stomach may be sensitive to too much raw produce. Experiment with various vegetables to determine whether you can tolerate some rather than others. For example, you may be able to digest broccoli well but find difficulty with cabbage. Add the information to your food diary.

• 7

  Increase your water consumption. Liquids, especially water, help keep your insides working smoothly and can help you avoid Crohn's flare-ups.

• 8

  Manage stress that can trigger flare-ups. Exercise outdoors when possible to lower your stress level and help your body regulate bowel functioning. Reduce stress in other ways by learning yoga, meditation or biofeedback techniques.