- You Can’t Cure Crohn’s Disease- Unfortunately, Crohn’s disease is an incurable, chronic condition which means it really can’t be “beat”. However, you can manage your Crohn’s disease and put it into remission- remission is a state with little to no symptoms and it’s almost like being cured. If anyone tries to sell you a magical supplement, holistic treatment plan, special diet plan, etc., that will cure your Crohn’s disease you should run the other way! There are substances and supplements that can help alleviate symptoms and help your body heal, but they can’t cure I’ll write another post about my experiences with different supplements like Redmond’s Clay, Chinese healing oil, and etc.
- Manage Stress- Stress is a huge exacerbator of Crohn’s disease symptoms, and it’s one of the hardest things to manage. When you start having a flare up it’s all too easy to start worrying about missing school and work. On top of that, you can start to worry about paying for your medical bills. The stress of worrying about all of these things can worsen your symptoms and make it harder to recover. You can even be in remission and extreme stress can trigger a flare up! Finding strategies to manage your stress is crucial to beating Crohn’s Disease!
- Eat Healthy- When your body is dealing with Crohn’s disease it’s imperative that your body has the proper nutrition so that you can start to heal. It’s common to be anemic and malnourished when going through a Crohn’s disease flare-up which makes it even harder for you to start to get healthy again. Each person’s body reacts differently to different foods so it’s important to track what you eat and how your body reacts. It’s common for people with Crohn’s disease to generally have adverse side effects to raw vegetables, nuts, popcorn, etc.
- Get Exercise and Plenty of Rest- Getting exercise while experiencing a flare up is one of the hardest things—your body is exhausted, you have literally zero energy, and you are weaker than ever. However, simple exercise can help stimulate healing and help you recover faster, but be extra careful not to overdo it! Too much exercise while in flare up can exacerbate your flare-up. While it’s important to get exercise, it’s just as important to get plenty of rest! Your body can only start to heal when you are have plenty of rest. Many experts recommending getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep when you have a flare up.
- Follow Your Treatment Plan- It’s more than likely that your doctor will prescribe medications to help you manage your Crohn’s Disease. I can’t stress how important it is to follow the treatment plan your doctor recommends! If you have any concerns about your medications or dosage, talk to your doctor about it! Most of the time there are answers to your concerns if you just talk to your doctor about it. Never skip doses, or take more medication than prescribed without first talking with your doctor. Don’t forget your GI doctor has at least 14 years of schooling and experience—most of the time they know what they are doing!
Follow these 5 steps and hopefully before you know it you’ll find yourself in remission!
Dylan B. Nelson 