Living with Crohn's Disease
Living With Crohn's Disease
Remember, all links are either red or blue
Most people living with Crohn's disease find that periods of remission
(when they are free from symptoms) are longer and more frequent than periods
of acute illness. This has never been truer than it is today, when doctors
have large and growing arsenal of treatment options to prescribe.
The severity of Crohn's disease can be measured objectively with indexes
that chart symptoms, including:
The number of bowel movements per day
Appetite level
Fever
Number of days in a month when an individual must modify his or her work,
home, or social schedule because of diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and other
symptoms
Severity can also be measured subjectively, through a doctor's assessment
of an individual's general state of being (such as whether he or she is
angry, depressed, in pain, or embarrassed by needing to use the toilet
frequently in social or business situations).
There is considerable variation in how people with Crohn's disease
experience their illness. An individual whose radiological examinations
reveal an extent of disease that would seem to be debilitating may lead
a relatively normal life, while a person with few objective signs of
disease may find his or her symptoms totally debilitating, both physically
and mentally.
Remission And Relapse
Although Crohn's disease is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory bowel
disease, it is not a constant disease. That is, Crohn's disease is
characterized by acute flare-ups of symptoms followed by remissions that
last for varying periods of time. Each individual's pattern of symptoms
is different, and conscientious doctors treat patients according to their
reported symptoms rather than the results of laboratory tests or
radiological exams.
Diarrhea, pain, and fever-along with fatigue, chills, and possibly
vomiting-come and go, sometimes in waves and sometimes in sharp bursts.
Flare-ups can occur out of the blue, following a viral illness such as
a head cold, or during times of extreme personal, business, or social
stress.
Nutritional Issues And Proper Diet
Compromised nutrition, even malnutrition, is a constant threat to an
individual with Crohn's disease. This is because the disease creates a
vicious cycle:
Fever and diarrhea cause a loss of appetite.
Fever, by raising the body's metabolic rate, adds to the need for caloric
energy.
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration and temporary lactose intolerance
(the inability to digest milk sugars).
Lactose intolerance causes milk sugars to ferment in the colon,
leading to cramps and more diarrhea.
Lactose intolerance can also indirectly lead to calcium deficiency,
which in turn can lead to the loss of bone density called osteoporosis.
This side effect can be especially prevalent among those being treated
with corticosteroids such as prednisone.
Nutritional treatment for Crohn's disease has two main goals.
The first is to increase the intake of calories, especially in the
form of proteins, along with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements,
to prevent nutritional deficiency.
The second is to create an eating pattern that minimizes stress on the
diseased digestive tract. This often means eating smaller, more frequent
meals. Many nutrition counselors suggest that people with Crohn's disease
consume six half-sized meals each day, spacing them equally and consuming
the last at least three hours before bedtime.
Most doctors tell people with Crohn's disease that their diet should be
"normal, as tolerated." There is no conclusive evidence that particular
foods cause flare-ups. During a flare-up, however, doctors often suggest
that individuals reduce their intake of dietary fiber, such as whole grains,
raw fruits and vegetables.
Colon Cancer Risk
Statistically, individuals with Crohn's disease have a slightly increased
risk of developing colorectal cancer, although not as much of an increased
risk as those with ulcerative colitis. Scientists are still searching for
the link between inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.
For individuals with Crohn's disease, the risk of developing colorectal
cancer increases over time, as is true for the general population.
For this reason, regular screenings-either a colonoscopy with biopsy or a
barium enema-should begin about 12 years after initial diagnosis if the
disease is confined to the small intestine, and eight years after diagnosis
if there is disease in the colon.
On behalf of learning, and use as teaching tools for those of us who need to
know about our disease, I have tried to supply you with as much information as
I could find on all of the drugs, treatments and disorders associated with
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. I have tried to blend all facts supported by research
and also from personal experiences of other IBD sufferers into one readable webpage, and any and all information presented here is not entirely
from one source. Most information contained within these pages is found in the public domain.
At times you may find information used from another site, and as with all copyrighted materials you may find on these pages, I claim fair use under sections 107 through 118 of the Copyright Act (title 17, U.S. Code). Click here for more info
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