health Matters
Crohn’s disease
Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Crohn’s disease is a chronic disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation in your digestive tract.
Most commonly, Crohn’s disease affects your small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine. However, the disease may affect any part of your digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease most often begins slowly and may get worse over time. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
When people have symptoms, it’s called a flare. In between flares, most people have periods of remission. Periods of remission can last for weeks or years.
It is estimated that 1 million people in the United States have Crohn’s disease.
Who Is More Likely to Develop Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease can develop in people of any age or race, but is more likely to develop in people who:
Are between the ages of 20 and 29.
Have a family member, most often a sibling or parent, with inflammatory bowel disease.
Are of Jewish descent.
Smoke cigarettes.
What Are the Complications of Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease may lead to complications that develop over time. Complications may include: anemia; bone problems, like osteopenia or osteoporosis; problems with growth and development in children; and malnutrition.
The inflammation of Crohn’s disease may lead to more serious complications, which include:
Intestinal obstruction, a partial or total blockage of the movement of food, fluid, air, or stool through your intestines.
Fistulas, which are abnormal passages or tunnels between two organs, or between an organ and the outside of your body.
Abscesses, which are painful, swollen, pus-filled pockets of infection.
Anal fissures which may cause itching, pain, or bleeding.
Ulcers, or open sores in your mouth, intestines, anus, or perineum.
Health Problems Affecting Other Parts of the Body
Some people with Crohn’s disease also have inflammation in parts of the body other than the digestive tract, including:
Joints, causing certain types of arthritis.
Skin, such as a rash that can be painful.
Eyes, including irritation.
Liver and bile ducts.
Kidneys, including development of kidney stones.
Lungs, which if severe can lead to difficulty breathing.
People with Crohn’s disease also commonly report stress, depression, and anxiety. Stress may change the microbiome in the digestive tract, which can worsen the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
Symptoms & Causes
The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are:
• Diarrhea
• Cramping and pain in your abdomen or belly
• Weight loss
Other symptoms include:
• Anemia
• Eye redness or pain
• Feeling tired
• Fever
• Joint pain or soreness
• Nausea, loss of appetite, or vomiting
• Skin changes such as red, tender bumps under the skin
What Causes Crohn’s Disease?
Experts think the following factors may play a role in causing Crohn’s disease.
Abnormal Immune Reaction
One cause of Crohn’s disease may be an abnormal reaction of your body’s immune system, which happens when your immune system attacks bacteria that tend to live in your intestines. This immune system response causes inflammation in the digestive tract, leading to Crohn’s disease.
Environment
Researchers are studying how people’s environments interact with genes, the immune system, and the microbiome to affect the chance of developing Crohn’s disease. For example, research has shown that smoking may double your chance of developing Crohn’s disease.
Microbiome
Studies have found differences between the microbiomes of people who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and those who don’t.
Trigger Foods for Crohn’s
Disease
Foods that may trigger symptoms of Crohn’s disease include: alcohol; caffeine; carbonated beverages; refined sugars; dairy products; raw vegetables; dried beans, peas, and legumes; dried fruits and berries; fruits with pulp or seeds; sulfur or sulfate-containing foods; high-fiber foods; spicy foods (including hot sauces); nuts and crunchy nut butter; seeds; popcorn; and sorbitol (in many sugar-free gums and candies).
Chronic Stress
According to 2019 research, irritable bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, are associated with chronic stress. Both physiological and chronic stress can have a negative impact on your gut function and the close connection and interaction between your gut and brain. Stress can increase and activate inflammatory pathways, decrease mucosal flow, and damage the mucosal barrier.
Chronic psychological stress can also lead to poor sleep, which can stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increasing your risk of altered gut microbiota, leaky gut syndrome, and gut health issues.
Certain Medications
Anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase your risk of Crohn’s disease. The problem is that some of these drugs are used for the conventional treatment of Crohn’s, yet long-term use may become problematic.
According to 2017 research, long-term exposure to antibiotics can negatively affect your gut microbiome and intestinal immune system and increase your risk of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Digestive Health Support
Strategies
The good news is that if you have Crohn’s disease you can employ some digestive health support strategies to support your body and digestion naturally. While none of these strategies are FDA approved to prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure Crohn’s disease, many people have benefited greatly from implementing them.
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Plan
Remove inflammatory foods, including refined sugar, refined carbs, refined oil, gluten, processed foods, junk foods, and food sensitivities.
Focus on organic greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, low glycemic index fruits, healthy fats, pasture-raised beef, grass-fed poultry and eggs, and wild-caught fish.
Low-FODMAP Diet Trial
A low-FODMAP diet consists of restricting all fermentable carbohydrates.
According to a 2020 randomized trial, a low-FODMAP diet may decrease inflammation and improve the microbiome of those with inflammatory bowel disease.
According to a 2018 meta-analysis and systemic review, a low-FODMAP diet may be beneficial for those with inflammatory bowel disease.
You may want to try a low-FODMAP diet for two to six weeks to see if your symptoms improve.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Research done in 2019 has shown that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may benefit irritable bowel diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. They may help to lower inflammation and aid remission.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines; nuts, especially walnuts; seeds, such as flax, hemp, chia, and pumpkin seeds; grass-fed meats; and pasture-raised eggs.
Identify and Remove Food Triggers
Crohn’s disease may be triggered by a variety of foods. It is important that you identify and remove your food sensitivities and food triggers.
Since triggering food sensitivities often lead to delayed symptoms up to 72 hours after eating, discovering them can be tricky.
Support the Gut Mucosa
Crohn’s disease involves the inflammation of your gut mucosal layer; therefore, your recovery has to involve reducing this inflammation and supporting your gut health through nutrition, fasting, and targeted supplementation.
Balance the Gut Microbiome
Improving the microbial balance in your gut is very important to heal from Crohn’s disease. Probiotics play a very important role in the management of this condition.
Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) that are like the microorganisms that naturally live in our bodies.
Reduce Stress & Improve Sleep
Reducing stress and improving sleep is critical for improving your gut health and reducing inflammation in your gut. Sunlight exposure and regular exercise are also great ideas.
Avoid electronics, food, and stress close to bedtime. Develop an evening routine that relaxes your body and calms your mind. Try to get between seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.
Optimize Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is critical for immune regulation. It is an immunomodulator.
Research has linked vitamin D deficiencies to immune-mediated disorders, such as chronic infections and autoimmune diseases, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.
Spending time on the sun is important for optimizing your vitamin D levels. However, due to our indoor lifestyle, gloomy days, and darker months, it may be impossible to meet your needs through the sun alone. This is why you may need to supplement with vitamin D3.
If you are struggling with health issues, call the Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center at 240-651-1650 for a free consultation. Dr. Lo uses Nutritional Response Testing® to analyze the body to determine the underlying causes of ill or non-optimum health. The office is located at 7310 Grove Road #107, Frederick, MD. Check out the website at www.doctorlo.com.
by Dr. Thomas K. Lo, Advanced Chiropractic & Nutritional Healing Center
