According to recent statistics, around 3 million Americans have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that causes the digestive tract to become irritated and swollen. It often causes debilitating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss. If you have been diagnosed with Huntersville Crohn’s Disease, some of the factors that cause flares are out of your control, but changing your routine of unhealthy lifestyle habits and undertaking proper treatment can give you some control back. Here is a look at some things that might be worsening your condition.
Consuming Wrong Foods
Eating a well-balanced diet helps manage Crohn’s disease symptoms and prevents flare-ups. Studies show that high-fat foods, fiber, carbonated drinks, and dairy products can trigger flare-ups. Sticking to fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean meat is recommended. Always go for fresh produce because you aren’t sure what the preservatives in packaged and canned foods will do to your body. Some preservatives have been shown to weaken the digestive microbiome leading to potential inflammation.
Smoking
Smoking is highly linked to causing inflammation in Crohn’s disease. It has been established that smoking increases the risk of developing Crohn’s disease and worsening the symptoms once you have it. Therefore, people with Crohn’s disease need to stop smoking as it worsens the condition. More so, patients who smoke after undergoing surgery to treat Crohn’s disease have higher chances of undertaking the surgery again.
Stressing Yourself
It’s stressful not knowing when you will have the next flare-up and finding a bathroom when it occurs. However, lacking to manage your stress levels and mental health can trigger Crohn’s disease flare-ups. Stressed people sleep poorly, which might increase the chances of hospitalization or surgery for Crohn’s disease patients. If you are stressed, you can consider meditation, mindfulness breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation exercises.
Taking Excess Alcohol
Alcohol can cause adverse reactions when it interacts with medications used to manage Crohn’s disease-causing vomiting and nausea. Also, the sulfur and sugar in alcohol often cause flare-ups in Crohn’s disease patients. It is hence recommended against excessive or frequent drinking.
Too Much Coffee
Everyone can get some symptoms in their digestive tract from drinking too much caffeine because it stimulates all body parts, including the small bowel. Therefore, patients with Crohn’s disease might notice worsening symptoms after drinking excess caffeine. While there is still no proven evidence linking caffeine consumption and the risk of Crohn’s disease, if you feel that coffee is bothering you, consider limiting your daily intake.
Using Wrong Pain Relievers
Some pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen sodium and ibuprofen can worsen Crohn’s disease. If you want to relieve pain resulting from Crohn’s disease, opting for acetaminophen or celecoxib is recommended. It is safe to use acetaminophen up to 3,000 milligrams daily.
Ultimately, breaking these bad habits will give you more control over your Crohn’s disease. Therefore, start by ditching these unhealthy lifestyle habits. Also, remember that Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition, meaning you will need lifelong medical care. The condition has no cure, but it’s manageable. Therefore getting consistent healthcare should always be on your schedule. Working closely with your doctor, you will get treatments to control your symptoms and enable you to lead a fairly normal life.
