09 Jul 5 Lifestyle Tips For Living With Crohn’s Disease
5 Lifestyle Tips for Living With Crohn's Disease
Living with Crohn’s disease can be uncomfortable. It impacts daily life in many ways, from diet restrictions to unpredictable flare-ups. Here are five recommendations you can try at home to help manage your Crohn’s disease symptoms.
What is Crohn's disease?
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract. It causes symptoms like severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue. While the exact cause of Crohn’s is unknown, genetics, immune system dysfunction, and environmental factors may contribute. In this article, we will discuss Crohn’s disease treatment options and lifestyle changes that have been shown to reduce symptoms.
Lifetstyle Tips
1. Crohn’s Disease Diet
Avoiding triggers such as dairy, fiber, and spicy foods can help reduce symptoms.
Consider keeping a food diary to monitor symptoms and identify potential triggers. Write down what you eat and note any flare ups. Over time, you will identify patterns and adjust your diet.
2. Stress Management
Similar to other gastrointestinal disorders, stress is shown to make symptoms worse in Crohn’s disease.
Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation and work on limiting external stressors wherever possible. Regular exercise is great for your body, but also has stress-relieving abilities! It helps increase the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. The release of endorphins puts your mind at ease and lowers stress levels instantly.
3. Regular Monitoring
Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider are essential to communicate changes in disease progression. Try to monitor these changes as you notice them in daily life.
Your symptoms and responses to therapy require a unique approach. Noting any changes in symptoms at check-ups will help the provider fine-tune your treatment.
4. Get Sufficient Sleep
Adequate rest is crucial for managing symptoms and supporting overall well-being. Establish a regular sleep schedule and try to create a relaxing bedtime routine.
5. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can worsen Crohn’s disease symptoms, and ironically some Crohn’s symptoms can also lead to dehydration. It is important to be aware of your water intake and look out for warning signs such as dry mouth, fatigue, headaches, and dark urine.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially during/after periods of diarrhea. Avoid excessive sugary drinks like soda, juices, sports, and energy drinks. Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine as these promote more urination. Drink more water when it’s cold, the drier air leads to dehydration.
Crohn's Disease Treatment
Lifestyle changes are effective ways to improve symptoms and put you in control of your outcome. However, lifestyle changes work best when they combine with a personalized treatment plan. Work with your healthcare provider to determine the best treatment for your needs.
Crohn’s disease treatment includes a variety of medications, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, and immunomodulators. For some people with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease that doesn’t respond well to other treatments, biologic infusions/injections may be recommended as add-on therapies.
The most common biologic treatments for Crohn’s disease are Remicade (infliximab), Entyvio (Vedolizumab), and Stelara (Ustekinumab). Remicade is also offered in several biosimilars that could lower the cost of treatment.
These biologics have been shown to improve symptoms and overall management of Crohn’s disease. However, they may not be appropriate for everyone. Your healthcare provider can help determine the best treatment plan for your unique treatment needs.
Where can I get my infusion?
Typically, biologics are administered via infusion or injection in a hospital or provider’s office. Nevertheless, recent findings suggest that receiving treatment at a stand-alone or ambulatory infusion center (AIC) can lower infusion costs by up to 53%, while providing a more individualized and private experience.
Here at Pure Infusion Suites, we put our patients first. We offer flexible scheduling, co-pay assistance, and other financial aid programs, as well as private suites equipped with recliners, flatscreen TVs, and snacks and drinks for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
Pure Infusion Suites currently has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Our founders created Pure Infusion Suites to make the infusion process comfortable, streamlined, and affordable.
Our expertly trained staff will be with you throughout the infusion process to ensure easy referrals and insurance authorizations and reduce the cost of your infusion where we can.
At Pure Infusion Suites, you will skip the long lines at the hospital and be provided with your suite, where you can enjoy your favorite shows, snacks, and food during your infusion appointment.
If you have been prescribed an injection or infusion add-on therapy for your Crohn’s disease and are looking for a patient-focused experience, click here to find a clinic near you.
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