Crohn’s Disease: Causes, Treatments, and Holistic Approaches

Living with Crohn’s disease brings many daily challenges. From the pain, cramping, and unpredictable symptoms that can disrupt your day at any given time, to the increased anxiety and stress that comes with having a lifelong health condition, it can all feel too overwhelming. Even when you are feeling great and aren’t experiencing symptoms, you likely find yourself worrying about when the next attack will come, and since you never truly know, it can be difficult to plan and enjoy even the simplest activities. But you have a lot more control than you may think. Although Crohn’s Disease is an incurable disease, there are many steps you can take to improve your health, reduce your symptoms and start living every day to the fullest once again. In this article, we cover the most important information about Crohn’s, including the different options available to help you navigate through the challenges and get back to doing the things you love.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation in your digestive tract. The inflammation can occur in different areas of the digestive tract – from your mouth to your anus. However, it most commonly occurs in the small intestines and spreads to the deeper layers of the bowels.

The area of your body being affected determines the type of Crohn’s disease you’re experiencing. For example, the different types of Crohn’s disease are:

• Ileocolitis: This is the most common type of Crohn’s disease where inflammation occurs in both the small intestine and a portion of the large intestine (colon).
• Ileitis: In this type, swelling and inflammation develop specifically in the small intestine, particularly in the ileum.
• Gastroduodenal: With this type, inflammation and irritation affect the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine known as the duodenum.
• Jejunoileitis: This type involves patchy areas of inflammation that develop in the upper half of the small intestine, referred to as the jejunum.

It’s important to speak with your doctor to receive an accurate diagnosis, so you can develop a personalized treatment plan based on the specific type of Crohn’s Disease you’re dealing and extent of your condition.

Regardless of the type, living with this autoimmune disorder can present many challenges. It often produces a vast array of physical symptoms such as stomach pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and can even lead to malnutrition and other life-threatening conditions. Not only that but the challenges associated with Crohn’s disease can also present many emotional and mental health concerns, such as increased stress, anxiety and depression.

Unfortunately, Crohn’s Disease is an incurable disease and one that is often unpredictable, making it difficult to know how you’re going to feel from day-to-day. This can present additional challenges, such as the inability to commit to plans or a routine as a flare-up can happen at any time and can be quite severe.

But that doesn’t mean you will be living the rest of your days in pain or consumed with the unpredictability of your symptoms. There are all kinds of therapies available that can significantly reduce your symptoms, promote long-term remission and heal the inflammation to better manage your condition. Many people with Crohn’s Disease are able to function well and live the life they want and with the right information, you can too!

Common Causes of Crohn’s Disease

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease remains unknown. However, there are certain factors that can contribute to an increased risk of developing the condition, such as:

• Having an autoimmune disease: It is believed that certain bacteria in the digestive tract can trigger the body’s immune system to attack healthy cells.
• Genetic factors: If you have a family member, such as a parent, sibling, or relative, with Crohn’s disease, your risk of developing it may be higher. Specific mutations in genes have been identified that can predispose people to Crohn’s disease.
• Smoking: Research suggests that smoking tobacco products can make you twice as likely to develop Crohn’s Disease.

While these factors may contribute to the likelihood of developing Crohn’s disease, it’s important to note that not everyone with these risk factors will develop the condition. Additionally, you can still develop Crohn’s Disease without having any of these risk factors.

There are also various factors that can worsen the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, particularly diet and stress. Although, these are not believed to a cause of the condition in itself.

What Is The Treatment For Crohn’s Disease?

As mentioned previously, there is no current cure for Crohn’s Disease. However, there are various forms of treatment and natural remedies that can be used to help manage your symptoms, maintain remission and reduce the risk of possible complications.

The treatment options available are highly based on individual circumstances, such as the underlying cause of the Crohn’s Disease, the type and the severity of symptoms. What works for someone else may not be the best option for you, so it’s important to speak with your doctor to discuss the best courage of action.

With that said, some possible treatments they may recommend for you are:

• Antibiotics: These medications can help prevent or treat infections to help prevent future complications like abscesses or fistulas.
• Antidiarrheal medication: Prescription medications, such as loperamide (Imodium A-D®), can be used to control severe diarrhea.
• Biologics: These medications contain monoclonal antibodies that help suppress the immune response.
• Corticosteroids: Cortisone, prednisone, and other corticosteroids can be used to alleviate inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.
• Immunomodulators: These drugs, such as include azathioprine and cyclosporine. help calm inflammation by suppressing your immune system.
• Nutritional therapy: Your doctor may suggest special diets administered orally or through a feeding tube (enteral nutrition) or nutrients delivered directly into a vein (parenteral nutrition) to improve your nutrition and allow your bowel to rest, such
• Pain relievers: Over-the-counter, such as Tylenol and Advil, as well as prescription pain relief medication can help manage mild pain associated with Crohn’s disease. However, other common pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) should not be used as they can exacerbate your symptoms and potentially worsen the underlying disease.
• Surgery: This option may be necessary if your bowel gets a hole, the bowel becomes blocked or narrowed, bleeding won’t stop, symptoms don’t respond to the other treatment options or a fistula forms.

Natural Remedies for Crohn’s Disease

Using medication can be an effective way to manage Crohn’s Disease, maintain remission and ease the effect it has on your life and general health and wellness. However, natural remedies can be an excellent addition to your treatment plan, as they can tackle the root cause of your Crohn’s for effective and natural relief. There are also a variety of lifestyle and diet changes you can make to help treat the symptoms associated with Crohn’s Disease.

Keep in mind, there are many different natural remedies and lifestyle adjustments to choose from and how effective they will be for you highly depends on the same factors mentioned – underlying cause of the Crohn’s Disease, the type and the severity of symptoms. As such, it’s recommended to implement these options into your treatment plan gradually, so you can see which ones work the best for you.

To get you started on your healing journey, let’s take a look at some of the best natural ways to treat Crohn’s Disease. 

Diet Adjustments

While diet isn’t said to directly cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), certain foods and drinks can exacerbate symptoms, especially during flare-ups. Keep a food diary to track your eating habits and how you feel so you can identify any trigger foods and avoid them moving forward. Speaking with a dietician who specializes in Crohn’s Disease can also help you develop a personalized eating plan based on your specific needs.

Some general dietary suggestions commonly used to help manage your condition are:

• Limit dairy products: Many people experience relief from symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gas by limiting or eliminating dairy products.
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals: Instead of having two or three large meals, consuming five or six smaller meals throughout the day can help alleviate symptoms and improve digestion.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of fluids, preferably water, on a daily basis is important. You’ll also want to avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages that can stimulate the intestines and worsen diarrhea, as well as carbonated drinks that can cause gas.

Take Your Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics and Prebiotics

Since Crohn’s disease can interfere with nutrient absorption, taking a multivitamin and some mineral supplements can help you get all of the nutrients you need to thrive.

Additionally, you’ll want to start taking some probiotics. This is because the natural balance of bacteria in the gut is often disrupted when you have Crohn’s disease. Probiotics can help restore this balance by introducing beneficial bacteria, which can help ease your symptoms. You can find probiotics in certain foods such as “live culture” yogurt, sauerkraut, and miso or take them in supplement form.

Certain foods can also give you a natural boost of prebiotics, which are a fuel source for beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in your digestive tract. You can find prebiotics in foods like bananas, onions, leeks, artichokes and asparagus.

• Probiotics: increase the healthy bacteria in your gut.
• Prebiotics: feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.
• Fish oils: a popular natural remedy for Crohn’s Disease, as it can help combat inflammation.
• B vitamins: taking B vitamins, specifically B12, can help treat the deficient and potential issues such as anemia, weakness, and fatigue that many people have with Crohn’s disease.
• Iron: can help treat an iron deficiency and support your overall wellbeing.
• Potassium and magnesium: can help with vomiting, nausea, and complications arising from chronic diarrhea.

Stop Smoking

You’ve heard it a million times again and you’ll likely continue to hear it until you butt out: smoking cigarettes isn’t doing anything to help your health. In fact, it’s doing quite the opposite, especially if you have Crohn’s Disease as smoking exasperates your symptoms and overall condition. Quitting smoking will also have a positive impact on the overall health of your digestive tract and offer a plethora of other health benefits.

Start Managing Your Stress

While stress doesn’t cause Crohn’s disease in itself, it can intensify your symptoms and potentially trigger flare-ups. Although it’s not always possible to avoid stress completely, there are all kinds of stress management strategies that can help you manage it effectively, such as:

• Daily exercise: Engaging in even mild exercise can aid in reducing stress, alleviating feelings of depression, and promoting regular bowel function.
• Biofeedback: This stress-reduction technique involves using a machine to decrease muscle tension and slow down your heart rate to induce a relaxed state, making it easier to deal with stress.
• Breathing exercises: Setting out time for some long, deep breaths can induce calmness and aid with stress. Consider attending yoga and meditation classes or using resources like books, CDs, or DVDs at home.

Give Your Bowel a Rest by Fasting

Fasting can give your intestines time to heal. This is a period of time in which you only drink certain liquids and avoid drinking or eating anything else. It serves as a much-needed reset for your intestines.

Learning that you have Crohn’s can be incredibly overwhelming. However, it’s important to not get too wrapped up in the fact that the disease is incurable because you can regain control of your health and life again. Implementing some effective treatment options and natural remedies can significantly improve your symptoms, condition and overall health and wellness. So, remember to always prioritize your self-care, both physically and emotionally, and to be gentle with yourself during the tough times.