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Medical And Non-Medical Treatments For Crohn's Disease

28 May 2016 by Sasha Meyer

Flare-ups from Crohn's disease can have an impact on your day-to-day life. You can experience severe abdominal pain and diarrhea when the disease is not under control. If you have Crohn's disease, medical intervention is necessary or you could face complications. Depending on the severity of your condition, your symptoms might be controlled with medical or non-medical treatments. Here are some treatments your doctor might recommend.

Medical Treatments

The most common method of treating the symptoms of Crohn's disease is to use anti-inflammatory drugs. Crohn's is associated with digestive tract inflammation, so the use of an anti-inflammatory can possibly lower the chances of having a flare-up and extend the remission period.

Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, are not considered long-term solutions. However, your doctor might recommend the use of them in short periods to help prevent symptoms from returning. 

Your doctor might rely on prescription drugs to help suppress an action in your body that triggers the inflammation. Immune system suppressor drugs, such as infliximab and azathioprine, are sometimes given as part of an infusion therapy. 

The drug is typically injected into a muscle or via an epidural. Infusion therapy is not necessarily performed in your doctor's office. If the drug is delivered through a muscle, you can safely do it at home with some training from your doctor. 

Non-Medical Treatments

In addition to using medications and other therapies to control the disease, there are steps you can take at home to lessen the chances that you experience a flare-up. You can also try these things to lessen the symptoms of the disease if you do have a flare-up. For instance, during a flare-up, dairy products and foods high in fat and fiber, can aggravate your symptoms. 

Smoking can not only contribute to the likelihood that you experience flare-ups, but also make the symptoms worse. Quitting smoking can help to lengthen the time between flare-ups and also improve your overall health. 

Stress can sometimes trigger a flare-up. When you are suffering from high levels of stress, your digestive system is sometimes disrupted. To avoid this, take steps, such as exercising and meditation, to control your stress levels.

Your doctor plays an important role in finding the right treatment plan to avoid Crohn's disease flare-ups. It might take a combination of treatments to find the one that works for you. Keep your doctor aware of any changes to your condition that result from the treatment. Contact a facility, such as the Idaho Arthritis Center, for more information.   

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