When Chrons is Active

Written by Aidan Gillen

Like many chronic illnesses, chrons can actually go into remission. You will always have chrons , but you might find that you feel healthy enough to forget you have an auto-immune disease. However, you will also go through periods of time when your chrons is mildly, moderately, or severely flaring up. Then, you need to know what to do when your chrons is active.

When your chrons is active, it will be up to you to figure it out. Otherwise, if you wait until you get sick enough to go to the doctor, the symptoms and the treatment will both be much worse. You do not want to ignore a problem, until it lands you in the hospital or you cannot function to go to work, take care of your kids, or have any decent quality of life. However, if you are aware of your body and the potential changes that chrons can facilitate, you might be able to take care of the problem, without having to incur more medical bills.

Change your Diet

When your chrons is acting up, the first thing you need to do for yourself is change what you eat and how much. Generally, when your chrons symptoms are more pronounced, you can count on your colon having sores. So, if you are careful about putting easy to digest foods into your body, it can give your colon a chance to rest and heal.For example, if you have been able to tolerate dairy products, it might be time to back off of the bowl of cereal or glass of milk. However, according to dieticians, the more processed the product, the better chance your body has of gently digesting. When you chrons is giving you problems, you might find that yogurt not only tastes good, but your body can tolerate it. The active yogurt cultures are also good for promoting healthy digestion.

Basically, foods that are easy to digest can give your body a chance to heal. Mashed potatoes, cooked veggies, soups, and bland foods are best. Avoid fatty, greasy, or spicy foods that will give your colon grief. You alone are the first line of defense against a flare up of chrons.

Rest

When your chrons is active, you are going to feel tired and worn out. It is simply the nature of the disease. No matter how busy you are, it is important to listen to your body. You need to get more rest. Change your schedule. If your job runs you ragged, you need to figure out how to slow down a little. Rest during your lunch hour, enlist the family to help with meals and keeping up with the house, put your normal social life on hold, and get to bed early. It may be hard for you to slow down today and rest; but, if you do not, you will likely pay for it tomorrow, or in the near future.

Avoid Certain Medications

For pain relief, you may prefer a specific brand, but if it is ibuprofen, you are aggravating your chrons. It can actually cause more problems than it helps. Acetaminophen is better for your colon. So, Tylenol or generic brands of this medication are fine. Aleve and Advil are not a good idea. In fact, they can actually cause your chrons to flare up, if you take them too often for other health concerns like arthritis.

You need to be aware of the over-the-counter meds that are not good for your chronic illness. In truth, some of the prescription drugs you take for other health concerns can cause you big problem. So, it is vital to let all of your health care providers know that you have chrons. Oftentimes, they can offer other prescriptions choices or treatments that will not ultimately land you in the hospital.

Calling in Reinforcements

When your chrons is active, you need to know when to call the doctor and schedule an appointment, go to the emergency room, or whatever you need to do, in order to get the help needed now. For instance, if you have a stricture, it can cause a blockage that can be fatal. If you are throwing up everything you eat, are in a lot of pain, and cannot eliminate waste properly, you could be in big trouble.

It is nothing that should be ignore for even a day. If you are blocked, you have approximately 24 hours to have the stricture surgically removed, or you could die. Unfortunately, if you are also having trouble swallowing your meds or food, you can also have a stricture in your esophagus. The doctor will need to dilate, or stretch your esophagus before something really gets stuck. If you have uncontrollable stools, blood in your stools, and/or severe pain-especially in your lower right quadrant of your belly- you need to see a doctor.

In short, you do not have to live in constant fear of your chrons. But, you do need to know what to do if/when your chrons is active . You are your own best champion of health. So, eat well, get plenty of rest, watch you medications, and know when it is time to call the doctor, before your chrons gets worse. You will have a better quality of life, if you control chrons and do not let it control you.

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