Coping With Crohn's Disease

Physical

In addition to following the medication course set out by your healthcare provider, easing symptoms and preventing flares largely comes down to living a healthy lifestyle that encourages healthy bowel function and doesn't instigate your condition.

Eat a Balanced Diet
Information regarding the dietary treatment of Crohn's disease can be confusing. While it may be helpful to avoid particular "trigger" foods when you are in a flare, eliminating entire food groups as a rule is not generally recommended.

Rather, what you need to do is ensure a healthy diet with a balanced intake of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and nutrients.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend vitamin and nutritional supplements if blood tests reveal that you are low in potassium, magnesium, or other essential nutrients.

Don't Shy Away From Fiber
In the past, healthcare providers used to advise people with Crohn’s disease to avoid fiber, as this was believed to promote diarrhea.

Soluble fiber (found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) is the type that dissolves in water and helps soften stools while slowing the emptying of the intestines.

By contrast, insoluble fiber pulls water from the intestines and may increase the risk of bloating, gas, diarrhea, and pain for some sufferers of Crohn's disease. But if it can be tolerated, may also be beneficial.

Avoid Triggers
Ultimately, the only foods you need to avoid are those that cause you problems.

Finding the list of problematic foods can be a process of trial and error, requiring you to methodically eliminate and reintroduce foods until you know which ones to avoid.

When starting the process, there are a number of common culprits you should consider, including:

• Alcohol
• Butter and margarine
• Caffeinated coffee and teas
• Carbonated drinks
• Corn kernels
• Cured and processed meats
• Fried and high-fat foods
• Gas-producing foods 
• Mayonnaise
• Nuts and seeds
• Raw fruits
• Raw vegetables
• Red meat
• Spicy foods
• Whole grains and bran

Get Help From a Nutritionist
To find the maintenance diet that's right for you, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a nutritionist experienced with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In some cases, the nutritionist will be able to identify an undiagnosed food intolerance and switch you to, say, a gluten-free or lactose-free diet to gain better control of your symptoms.

Others may suggest a low FODMAP diet, which excludes certain carbohydrates and sugars believed to be associated with disease flares.

Hydrate
You also need to ensure proper hydration to normalize your bowel function. Drink enough liquids--water, broth, tomato juice--to keep your urine clear and light in color. How much, exactly, to drink can depend on a number of factors, including your weight, how active you are, the weather and the severity of your symptoms.

Exercise
Consider routine exercise as part of your management plan. People with Crohn's disease often avoid physical activity for fear that it may set off an attack—and that's a mistake.

In fact, moderate, regular exercise may not only help sustain periods of remission, it can improve your mood and reduce fatigue.

Quit Smoking
The simple truth is that smokers with Crohn's disease have a far greater risk of flares and are more likely to require aggressive immune suppressant therapy compared to non-smokers with the disease. In the end, you may likely never fully achieve sustained remission unless you make an effort to stop smoking.

If you need help, your healthcare provider can advise you on the various drug and cessation options available to you, many of which will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance plans.

Crohn's Disease Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next healthcare appointment to help you ask the right questions.

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Emotional

As living with a chronic disease can be emotionally challenging, you need to find strategies to manage stress on a daily basis and "dial down" your response should symptoms strike.

Many people with Crohn's disease turn to mind-body therapies, which honor the role that emotions play in your general health and well-being. These therapies can be used both to prevent flares and treat acute ones.

To reduce stress, try:

• Mindful meditation, in which you aim to recognize, but avoid responding to any unpleasant sensation
• Deep-breathing exercises, in which you focus on rhythmic breathing to achieve a calming, meditative state
• Guided imagery, in which you conjure pleasant mental images to relax and unwind
• Tai chi, which uses controlled, slow movements to increase mindfulness and calm
• Gentle yoga; mindfulness is an inherent part of the physical practice
• Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), in which you methodically tense and release your muscles to gradually release stress
• Biofeedback, which uses a machine to detect stressful responses so that you can learn to better control them

Getting regular exercise and sleep can also help you regulate your mood and deal with stress.

Social

Crohn's disease can leave some feeling isolated and reluctant to share their feelings with others, perhaps out of embarrassment or fear of how they might react.

If this is you, start by reaching out to others also affected by the disease, who know firsthand what you are going through. You might consider contacting your ​local chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation for referrals to peer-lead support groups in the area or seeking out a support community on social media.

With that being said, try not to discount the importance of friends and family in building a cohesive support network. Many people simply don't understand what

Crohn's disease is and will be better equipped to support and advocate for you if you help educate them both about the disease and how it is affecting you personally.

Practical

Sometimes, all it takes is a few easy "fixes" to better manage your Crohn's disease on a daily basis. Whether you are struggling to control symptoms or simply to want to do everything you can to sustain remission, there a few practical tips that can help:

• Keep a diary. By keeping a daily record of what you have eaten, how you are feeling, and what you have experienced during the day, you may be able to spot triggers that you've previously missed.
• Read food labels. Processed and packaged foods often contain chemicals and substances (like sorbitol, saturated fats, gluten, and caffeine) that can trigger Crohn's symptoms for some people. The more you are aware of what is in your food, the easier it will be to avoid products that can hurt you.
• Never skip meals. If you do, you will be more likely to overeat and overburden your gastrointestinal tract. To keep your hunger at bay (and keep the digestive system moving), eat three regular meals along with two to three healthy snacks per day. In the end, it is far better to eat five to six times per day than to overindulge once or twice.
• Drink beverages slowly.  Gulping down a drink or sipping it through a straw introduces air into the stomach, leading to increased belching, pain, and gas.
• Avoiding overheating. Staying out in the sun for too long or exercising strenuously can raise your body temperature excessively and trigger diarrhea.
• Plan ahead. When planning an outing, make every effort to locate where the nearest bathrooms will be so that you are never caught out. Similarly, if visiting a restaurant, check online or call in advance to see what you can eat. In this way, you won't be hurried by the server and order the wrong food.
• Don't go out feeling hungry. If you do, you may end up grabbing something that sets off symptoms.
• Bring your own food. If going to a party, bring an item you know you can eat and share with others in the group. Most hosts will be completely understanding if you advise them in advance about your dietary limitations.
• Be consistent. Whether you are out with friends or traveling, try not to tax your body with extreme changes in diet. Your digestive tract is happiest when things are stable and constant. Challenging the system with something exotic or excessive may end up disrupting the equilibrium you've been working so hard to maintain.