Are you struggling with persistent abdominal pain, frequent trips to the bathroom, and unrelenting fatigue?
Understanding Crohn's Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
These symptoms may indicate more than a passing discomfort; they could be signs of Crohn’s Disease. If these symptoms interfere with your daily life, it’s time to look at this chronic condition and explore how a functional medicine approach can help.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s Disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. This inflammation can cause a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. While the condition can affect different areas of the digestive tract, it often involves deeper layers of the bowel tissue, leading to potentially serious complications over time.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease vary widely and may develop gradually or appear suddenly during a “flare-up.” These periods of active disease alternate with times of remission when symptoms may disappear altogether.
Common symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Fatigue
- Blood in the stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Fever
In some cases, Crohn’s Disease can also lead to:
- Inflammation of the skin, eyes, and joints
- Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
- Kidney stones
- Iron deficiency (anemia)
- Fistulas (painful drainage near the anus due to inflammation)
Crohn’s Disease is not a one-size-fits-all condition. There are five main types, each affecting a specific area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract:
- Ileitis: Involves the last section of the small intestine (ileum).
- Ileocolitis: Affects the end of the small intestine and part of the large intestine (colon).
- Jejunoileitis: Targets the middle part of the small intestine.
- Gastroduodenal Crohn’s Disease: Involves the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine.
- Crohn’s Colitis: Limited to the colon.
Causes and Risk Factors
The exact cause of Crohn’s Disease remains unknown. However, researchers believe that a combination of genetic predisposition, a malfunctioning immune system, and environmental factors may contribute to its development.
While stress and diet do not cause Crohn’s Disease, they can aggravate symptoms.
The Challenges of Diagnosing Crohn’s Disease
Diagnosing Crohn’s Disease can be challenging because many of the symptoms mimic other conditions. To accurately diagnose, a comprehensive evaluation is needed to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. Functional medicine centers like Nava Health offer significantly more robust lab and diagnostic screenings than topline conventional medicine providers.
Complications
If left undiagnosed and untreated, Crohn’s Disease can lead to serious complications, including:
- Bowel obstruction
- Ulcers
- Fistulas (abnormal connections between tissues)
- Malnutrition
- Colon cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Gallbladder or liver disease
- Blood clots
When to See a Doctor
If you experience persistent changes in bowel habits or symptoms such as unexplained abdominal pain, prolonged diarrhea, fever, blood in the stool, or significant weight loss, it’s essential to consult a knowledgeable healthcare provider.
Lifestyle Tips for Managing Crohn’s Disease
Key lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of Crohn’s flare-ups. Key recommendations include:
- Nutrition is eating a balanced diet tailored to your needs.
- Staying hydrated.
- Consistent physical activity and exercise.
- Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol.
Management and Mitigation of Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
Although there is no cure for Crohn’s Disease, effective treatments are available to manage symptoms, reduce inflammation, and improve quality of life.
Treatment plans are highly individualized and may include:
- Clinical Nutrition therapy: Personalized nutrition counseling and guidance to help avoid trigger foods and bring down inflammation in the gut.
- IV Therapy: IV micronutrient therapies can assist in maintaining optimal hydration and delivering targeted vitamin infusions to combat inflammation.
In some instances, surgery may be necessary to remove damaged sections of the digestive tract. While surgery can provide temporary relief, it does not cure the disease, and symptoms may return near the surgical site.
How Nava Health Can Help
At Nava Health, we take an integrative and personalized approach to managing Crohn’s Disease. Through advanced diagnostic testing and a comprehensive care plan, we address the suppression of the symptoms but also the underlying factors contributing to your Crohn’s symptoms.
Our expert integrative medicine provider team can help you with the following:
- Reduce inflammation.
- Alleviate symptoms.
- Prevent complications.
Our longevity and functional medicine approach can include a blend of complementary therapies such as:
- Implementing an individualized anti-inflammatory diet, potentially eliminating common trigger foods like gluten, dairy, and processed foods
- Prescribing probiotics or prebiotics to restore balance to the gut microbiome
- Recommending high-fiber foods or butyrate supplements to support digestive health when not in a flare
- Addressing nutrient deficiencies common in Crohn’s disease
- Incorporating stress-reduction therapies such as massage or acupuncture
- Addressing sleep quality and quantity
- Monitoring inflammation markers and adjusting treatments accordingly
By taking this multifaceted approach, functional and longevity medicine providers aim to improve overall gut health, reduce inflammation, and enhance the patient’s quality of life while minimizing dependence on long-term medication use.
Take the first step toward better health today. Contact Nava Health for a consultation, and let us help you regain control of your life.
Reclaim your wellness with Nava Health.
Call (800)-762-6282 for a digestive health consultation today.