Living with Crohns disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly the lower intestines. People with Crohn’s disease may experience a number of symptoms, including: Diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, fever, rectal bleeding, and weight loss. It is estimated that over half a million Americans have Crohn’s disease.
Every Crohn’s patient’s condition is unique. Crohn’s symptoms can be frequent or rare, mild, or severe. For people with severe symptoms, the disease can be debilitating .Other people may experience no symptoms or very few symptoms.
But whatever your condition, there are things you can do to make your living with Crohn’s disease easier.
With regard to nutrition, make sure you eat a balance of foods from the four food groups:
* Meat (or alternative sources of protein). Include a source of protein at every meal.
* Dairy. Milk products are good sources of protein, calories, and minerals.
* Cereal and grains
* Fruits and vegetables
You should also reduce the amount of greasy foods, which may cause diarrhea and gas, eat smaller meals at frequent intervals, and decrease the amount of poorly digestible carbohydrates in your diet to decrease symptoms of gas, cramps, and diarrhea. It is also recommended to avoid carbonated beverages.
It is highly recommended for people living with Crohns disease to carefully plan their time away from home, so to avoid unexpectedly coping with the disease’s symptoms.
For example, attacks of diarrhea or abdominal pain may make people fearful of being in public places, but there is a simple way to avoid that. All you have to do is find out where the restrooms are in restaurants, shopping areas, and on public transportation. Carrying along extra underclothing and toilet paper is also a wise thing to do.
The medications that your doctor has prescribed you are aimed at reducing the intestinal inflammation, and although they get rid of the symptoms, you might occasionally suffer from diarrhea, cramping, nausea, and fever. Make sure to discuss with your doctor some good over the counter drugs that you can use for these conditions, and have those drugs available for you at all times.
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