Facebook Pixel

Heightening Awareness about Crohn's Disease

By Expert HERWriter
 
Rate This
raising Crohn's disease awareness B-D-S/PhotoSpin

December 1-7 is Crohn’s Awareness Week. This is an important opportunity to share about a disease that can be very debilitating and very embarrassing for the people who have it.

Since it affects the digestive tract, generally the small intestine, many of the symptoms are related to the bowel and can be difficult to manage in public or business places.

In addition to being embarrassing, it can be extremely painful and debilitating, with life-threatening complications.

Common symptoms include abdominal cramping, pain with passing stool, persistent and watery diarrhea, and sometimes weight loss. Additional symptoms could be constipation, joint pain and swelling, rectal bleeding or bloody stools.

Fistulas can be common, which are abnormal passageways found between two organs in the body or to the exterior of the body. Fistulas can cause pus, mucus or stools to come out in irregular places.

Fatigue and malnutrition can also result, which can cause problems with problems with daily activities.

Crohn’s disease is considered an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive tract. The autoimmune component of this disease causes the immune system to attack the healthy tissue of the digestive tract.

It is also considered an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that usually affects intestines. However it can affect any part of the digestive from the mouth to the anus.

Part of the course of this disease is ongoing or chronic inflammation flare-ups and remissions of the symptoms. Stress, certain foods, and lifestyle complications can exacerbate the symptoms.

Currently there is no cure for Crohn’s disease but it can manage to reduce signs and symptoms and/or support remission when it occurs.

Individualized treatment can help people function well in daily life. The goal of any treatment is to reduce inflammation and hopefully create long-term remission.

Conventional medical treatments usually mean anti-inflammatory, immune system suppressors, medications for specific symptoms and sometimes surgery. Naturopathic treatments also seek to reduce inflammation using natural anti-inflammatory herbs or nutrients, diet, stress management, and lifestyle changes.

Live Vibrantly,

Dr. Dae

Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.org

Download one of Dr. Dae's books: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living, Eating Healthy for the Holidays, Cultivate Health: Recipes for Diabetic or Pre-Diabetic Conditions @ www.healthydaes.org

Dr. Dae's Bio:

Dr. Daemon Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who maintains a holistic practice by treating patients all over the country using Skype and phone visits. She helps her patients harvest health and feel great, using a combination of safe and effective naturopathic and conventional methods.

Sources:

"Crohn's disease - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104

"Crohn's disease - PubMed Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001295

"fistula - definition of fistula in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.." Medical Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fistula

Reviewed December 18, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.