Living With Crohn’s Disease: Three Tips For Coping Better

Living with Crohn’s disease significantly affects your life. People with this disease experience painful cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. They can disrupt their lives and their self-confidence.

That is why it is so important that you arm yourself with some tools so that you can better deal with them.

Crohn’s disease is incurable. It can lead to stress and depression. However, each individual decides how to cope with this disease. If you’ve been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, here’s three tips for you. First we will discuss the disease itself.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease is a chronic autoimmune disease. However, the causes of this disease are still unclear. It is claimed that it may have genetic causes. It could also be caused by a bacteria that your body cannot handle.

Living with Crohn’s disease means your gut has a reaction to unknown active elements. This causes inflammation in part of the digestive tract. However, the distal ileum and colon are most commonly affected.

What Are the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

The symptoms vary depending on the area of ​​the digestive tract that is affected. These are the main symptoms:

• Stomach ache
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite, weight loss

• Diarrhea
• Fever

Sometimes the symptoms are more intense. They then get worse or are accompanied by other symptoms such as the following:

• Joint pain and inflammation
• Inflammation of the eyes
• Blood in the stool
• Ulcers in the mouth
• Result
• Constipation
• Wounds around the anus

Usually the symptoms disappear after a few days. However, the duration depends on the severity of the disease. Some people only experience it for a few days a year. Other people have flares every three months or even more regularly.

These are the complications that can occur:

• bowel obstruction
• anal cracks
• stomach ulcers
• fistulas

This disease is not life-threatening. Still, living with Crohn’s disease sometimes requires surgical intervention to relieve symptoms. People with Crohn’s disease are also at greater risk of colon cancer. That is also why it is so important that you keep it under control.

All these aspects affect the person psychologically and physically. When an inflammation develops, they will often isolate themselves at home. Their lives also change.

They cannot go to work or interact with other people. Out of shame or insecurity, they can’t really do anything that requires them to leave the house.

Living With Crohn’s Disease

There is no cure for Crohn’s disease yet. However, you can keep it under control. Learning to live with Crohn’s disease is the key to improving your quality of life and staying healthy for as long as possible.

If you have Crohn’s disease, here are some tips to remember.

1. Get to know your illness

If you want to deal with your illness in a good way, you have to know it well. Read about it and make sure you are informed. Your doctor can also be of great help in this regard. Ask him questions and tell him what worries you.

Also involve your family and friends. Get them informed too so they can better understand what you’re going through. They can also help you when needed.

You will feel much better when dealing with an illness with the support of your loved ones. They will be there for you when you are having a hard time. This can be on a physical or emotional level.

2. Learn how to deal with stress

Stress is not the cause of Crohn’s disease. However, it can trigger symptoms. Your mind has a lot of power over how you feel physically. So make sure that stress and worries do not overpower you.

Try to do activities that relax you and create a positive mind. Here are some examples:

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Listen to music
• Read

3. Learn to listen to your body

Your body is constantly talking to you. Listen to it! Learn how to read the signals your body is giving you. Also pay attention to the stimuli in your environment when your body does this.

For example, you should pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods. You can then determine whether or not it is okay to eat it.

Make a list of foods that your body cannot tolerate. Then avoid them at all costs. Follow a balanced diet and the dietary recommendations your doctor gives.

You are in control of your mind and your body. Do not allow the disease to take over your life. Learn how to live with Crohn’s disease.

If you don’t feel well, take the medication your doctor has prescribed. Go for a walk, listen to music, or do something that will clear your mind.

You don’t have to feel ashamed of your illness either. Live your life as normally as possible. Always prioritize your health.