Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.
CROHN’S DISEASE
SYMPTOMS
• Severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• Cramps or pain after eating, especially in the lower right side of the abdomen.
• Chronic low grade fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, or weight loss, especially if accompanied by persistent nausea and vomiting.
• Arthritis, with the symptoms above.
• In young children, any of the symptoms above, plus failure to thrive; in order children, failure to grow at a normal rate.
WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE
In CROHN’S DISEASE, a chronic disorder of the intestine, the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and weak, making digestion difficult and leading to general physical debility. The symptoms are similar to ulcerative colitis; to distinguish between them, your doctor may need to examine a sample of intestinal tissue. The inflammation of CROHN’S DISEASE can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract, although it usually strikes the end of the small intestine or the colon. CROHN’S DISEASE is typically diagnosed among people in their twenties and thirties, but the disease can also occur in infants and children. It is more common in women than in men, and it is rare in people of Asian or African descent. The disease is lifelong ailment that can be controlled but not cured: CROHN’S patients usually experience a roller coaster ride of attacks of abdominal pain and diarrhea followed by weeks or months of remission. A common complication of CROHN’S DISEASE is the development of fistulas that channel through the intestine or the skin itself, often near the anus. Surgery may be required to close the fistulas. Some CROHN’S patients show a tendency toward non-intestinal disorders, such as inflammation of the key, skin eruptions, kidney stones, or arthritis in the knees, ankles, and wrists. People who have had CROHN’S for 20 years or more are at risk of developing colorectal cancer, so if you have CROHN’S DISEASE and are over 30, you should get regular checkups.
CAUSES
The actual cause of CROHN’S DISEASE is unknown, but it may be an autoimmune disorder. The inflammation apparently occurs when the body’s own immune system for reason not yet understood attacks a part of the intestine. Some scientists are studying whether a virus causes CROHN’S, but no specific viral agent has been identified. Less likely suspects include food additives such as silica, a chalky substance added to toothpaste and some dietary supplements, and carrageen an, a seaweed derivative widely used as a thickening agent in ice cream and many other dairy products. It is clear, however, that smokers have a greater risk of developing CROHN’S that nonsmokers and a poorer prognosis if they continue smoking after developing the disease. Some antibiotics can cause fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea symptoms similar to those of CROHN’S DISEAS. Parasitic illness such as GIARDIASIS, which can be contracted by drinking water from springs and streams, also caused CROHN’s like symptoms.
DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES
CROHN’S DISEASE can usually be diagnosed from x-rays of the large and small intestines. Your physician may also do a SIGMOIDOSCOPY to view the intestines and may take a tiny sample of tissue from the intestinal lining for examination under the microscope.
TREATMENT
At present, CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable. Medical treatment typically involves a three stage approach to controlling the disease depending on the severity of the symptoms beginning with drug therapy and a restricted diet, then hospital treatment and if necessary, surgery.
CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE
You may your doctor will work together to minimize attacks by finding the combination of medications and dosages that works best for you. Some doctors believe CROHN’S patients remain free from attacks longer if they take maintenance doses of drugs even when the symptoms are not present; others wait until the patient has recognizable symptoms before prescribing anything. Children with CROHN’S DISEASE may need high Protein, high calorie liquid supplements to keep their growth on track. SULFASALAZINE, an intestinal anti inflammatory agent, is the corner stone of conventional medical treatment. It may give in varying dosages depending on the severity of the symptoms. Steroids such as prednisone are often prescribed with SULFASALAZINE to reduce the inflammation of the intestines. Most doctors are wary of prescribing steroids for longer than a few months, however, because of the potentially severe side effects. To reduce the need for steroids, an immunosuppressant’s such as AZATHIOPRINE may be substituted. Your doctor may also prescribe an ant diarrheal agent containing codeine for mild bouts of diarrheal. You will probably be put on a bland, well balanced diet. If you become severely ill with diarrheal and are losing weight, your doctor may want you to be hospitalized while you receive steroids intravenously. Your doctor may also recommend intravenous feedings, which allow the intestine to rest. After stabilization, some patients may need IV feedings at home with the help of a visiting nurse. If the disease does not respond to drugs and diet, your doctor may recommend surgery. A partial colostomy removes the damage section of the colon but preserve the bowel if possible. In a total colostomy, the entire colon is removed and the end of the small intestine is brought to the surface with a stormy bag for evacuation. Although the disease may recur after surgery, the symptoms are likely to be less severe and less debilitating than before. To help you to cope with the stresses of having CRHON’S DISEASE, your doctor may suggest group therapy, sponsored by the CRHON’S and COLITIS foundation or by a local hospital. If you have undergone an ILEOSTOMY, you can receive support and tips from your local chapter of the United OSTOMY Association.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICES
While CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable, many people with mild forms of the disease or CROHN’S like symptoms have found ways to relieve intestinal distress short of drugs or surgery.
ACCUPUNCTURE
A trained acupuncturist will ask detailed questions about and your symptoms of pain and diarrhea. Points near the navel along the foot stomach meridian are used to treat acute diarrhea. To treat chronic intestinal discomfort, the practitioner may choose points along the liver, spleen, or kidney meridians.
HERBAL THERAPIES
Powdered slippery Elm bark is soothing to the intestines. Dissolve ¼ tsp. in a glass of warm water and drink four times a day. Tea made with Chamomile, Marsh mallow, or Bay berry is also soothing. Steep 1 tsp. of the herb in a cup of boiling water and drink three times a day.
HOMEOPATHY
A homeopath will try to determine the origin of the disease and may want to assess your constitutional makeup before prescribing remedies. For symptomatic relief of diarrhea, try the following remedies every 30 minutes, up to four doses a day:
• Mercury’s corrosives 6c if your stool contains blood and mucus and you have a feeling that the bowel has not emptied.
• Arsenic album 6c if you have profuse diarrhea with a burning or colicky stomach, anxiety and chills.
• Podophyllum 6c if you have greenish, painless diarrhea with gurgling and stomach cramps that are worst in the morning.
NUTRITION AND DIET
When the disease is active, you may speed the healing process by drinking juice squeezed from green, leafy vegetables such as cabbage, which are loaded with chlorophyll, or by taking tablets of chlorella, a freshwater alga. Drinking broth made from seaweeds such as kelp may also be helpful. Some doctors recommend a high protein high fiber, low fat diet to speed healing, with extra B vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and copper. Be sure to check with your doctor or licensed nutritionist before taking vitamin and material supplements, however, because some have laxative or constipating effects. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed oils are said to help reduce inflammation. FLAVONOIDS such as quercetin may also reduce inflammation. You can find omega-3 oil and FLAVONOID supplements in health food stores. Your doctor may also recommend powdered psyllium seed, a soluble fiber, to give your stools more bulk. Mix powdered psyllium in cold water, drink it quickly, and drink another glass of water to increase its effectiveness.
REFLEXOLOGY
To soothe a troubled digestive tract, massage the colon, liver, adrenal, lower spine, diaphragm, and gall bladder areas on the foot.
YOGA
The cobra position is considered one of the best for toning the stomach and bowels. Lie on your stomach, with the side of your head resting on the ground and your legs together. Place your hands, palms down, just beneath your shoulders, keeping your head and chest off the floor. With you face forward, look up as high as you can and hold this position for three to six seconds. Exhale and slowly bring your chest and head down. Do up to four times a day. The knee to chest pose is intended to activate the abdominal organs and relieve gas. Stand straight with your arms at your sides. Lift your right knee toward your chest. Grasp your right ankle with your right hand and your leg in as close to your chest as you can. Keep standing straight, and hold for six to eight seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Do up to three times a day.
AT HOME REMEDIES
Use a juicer to squeeze your own cabbage and other green, leafy vegetable juices, and drink at least one glass every day. A snack of celery sticks is another quick way to get an extra measure of fiber. When the occasional about of diarrhea strikes, take time to sit down with a cup of chamomile or marsh mallow root tea.
!!LIVING WITH AN ILEOSTOMY!!
After surgery to remove the disease part of the colon, or large intestine, the cut end of the small intestine the ileum is led through an opening in the lower abdomen and surgically reconstructed to form a new opening a stoma for waste matter. A small plastic bag fastens against the opening to catch waste from the remaining intestine. Because the waste is only partially digested, it is liquid and has mild acidic odor. A nurse will teach you how to wear and care for the ileostomy bag. Some people change the bag every day; others can go for about a week. Your body will quickly adapt to having a shorter intestine, and the waste matter will eventually resemble more normal feces. To counteract any unpleasant odors, you can add an aspirin tablet or a little baking soda to each new bag. The stoma eventually shrinks to about the size of a nickel, but the skin around it may remain sensitive and require attention to prevent it from becoming irritated. People with ileostomies are surprised that the bag hardly interferes with their normal lives. After recovery from an ileostomy, you will probably be able to do everything you could before, even swimming and having normal sexual relation. You can also enjoy a normal diet, although you may have to cut out certain foods, such as popcorn and very fibrous vegetables that may tend to clog the stoma.
PREVENTION
There is no evidence that food allergies cause CRHON’S but food sensitivities may add to the irritation of the colon. To check for sensitivities, avoid suspected food for 10 to 30 days, and then try it. If a reaction occurs, eliminating the food from your diet. Common allergens are dairy products, eggs, and water.
CROHN’S DISEASE
SYMPTOMS
• Severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• Cramps or pain after eating, especially in the lower right side of the abdomen.
• Chronic low grade fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, or weight loss, especially if accompanied by persistent nausea and vomiting.
• Arthritis, with the symptoms above.
• In young children, any of the symptoms above, plus failure to thrive; in order children, failure to grow at a normal rate.
WHAT IS CROHN’S DISEASE
In CROHN’S DISEASE, a chronic disorder of the intestine, the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and weak, making digestion difficult and leading to general physical debility. The symptoms are similar to ulcerative colitis; to distinguish between them, your doctor may need to examine a sample of intestinal tissue. The inflammation of CROHN’S DISEASE can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract, although it usually strikes the end of the small intestine or the colon. CROHN’S DISEASE is typically diagnosed among people in their twenties and thirties, but the disease can also occur in infants and children. It is more common in women than in men, and it is rare in people of Asian or African descent. The disease is lifelong ailment that can be controlled but not cured: CROHN’S patients usually experience a roller coaster ride of attacks of abdominal pain and diarrhea followed by weeks or months of remission. A common complication of CROHN’S DISEASE is the development of fistulas that channel through the intestine or the skin itself, often near the anus. Surgery may be required to close the fistulas. Some CROHN’S patients show a tendency toward non-intestinal disorders, such as inflammation of the key, skin eruptions, kidney stones, or arthritis in the knees, ankles, and wrists. People who have had CROHN’S for 20 years or more are at risk of developing colorectal cancer, so if you have CROHN’S DISEASE and are over 30, you should get regular checkups.
CAUSES
The actual cause of CROHN’S DISEASE is unknown, but it may be an autoimmune disorder. The inflammation apparently occurs when the body’s own immune system for reason not yet understood attacks a part of the intestine. Some scientists are studying whether a virus causes CROHN’S, but no specific viral agent has been identified. Less likely suspects include food additives such as silica, a chalky substance added to toothpaste and some dietary supplements, and carrageen an, a seaweed derivative widely used as a thickening agent in ice cream and many other dairy products. It is clear, however, that smokers have a greater risk of developing CROHN’S that nonsmokers and a poorer prognosis if they continue smoking after developing the disease. Some antibiotics can cause fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea symptoms similar to those of CROHN’S DISEAS. Parasitic illness such as GIARDIASIS, which can be contracted by drinking water from springs and streams, also caused CROHN’s like symptoms.
DIAGNOSTIC AND TEST PROCEDURES
CROHN’S DISEASE can usually be diagnosed from x-rays of the large and small intestines. Your physician may also do a SIGMOIDOSCOPY to view the intestines and may take a tiny sample of tissue from the intestinal lining for examination under the microscope.
TREATMENT
At present, CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable. Medical treatment typically involves a three stage approach to controlling the disease depending on the severity of the symptoms beginning with drug therapy and a restricted diet, then hospital treatment and if necessary, surgery.
CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE
You may your doctor will work together to minimize attacks by finding the combination of medications and dosages that works best for you. Some doctors believe CROHN’S patients remain free from attacks longer if they take maintenance doses of drugs even when the symptoms are not present; others wait until the patient has recognizable symptoms before prescribing anything. Children with CROHN’S DISEASE may need high Protein, high calorie liquid supplements to keep their growth on track. SULFASALAZINE, an intestinal anti inflammatory agent, is the corner stone of conventional medical treatment. It may give in varying dosages depending on the severity of the symptoms. Steroids such as prednisone are often prescribed with SULFASALAZINE to reduce the inflammation of the intestines. Most doctors are wary of prescribing steroids for longer than a few months, however, because of the potentially severe side effects. To reduce the need for steroids, an immunosuppressant’s such as AZATHIOPRINE may be substituted. Your doctor may also prescribe an ant diarrheal agent containing codeine for mild bouts of diarrheal. You will probably be put on a bland, well balanced diet. If you become severely ill with diarrheal and are losing weight, your doctor may want you to be hospitalized while you receive steroids intravenously. Your doctor may also recommend intravenous feedings, which allow the intestine to rest. After stabilization, some patients may need IV feedings at home with the help of a visiting nurse. If the disease does not respond to drugs and diet, your doctor may recommend surgery. A partial colostomy removes the damage section of the colon but preserve the bowel if possible. In a total colostomy, the entire colon is removed and the end of the small intestine is brought to the surface with a stormy bag for evacuation. Although the disease may recur after surgery, the symptoms are likely to be less severe and less debilitating than before. To help you to cope with the stresses of having CRHON’S DISEASE, your doctor may suggest group therapy, sponsored by the CRHON’S and COLITIS foundation or by a local hospital. If you have undergone an ILEOSTOMY, you can receive support and tips from your local chapter of the United OSTOMY Association.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICES
While CROHN’S DISEASE is not curable, many people with mild forms of the disease or CROHN’S like symptoms have found ways to relieve intestinal distress short of drugs or surgery.
ACCUPUNCTURE
A trained acupuncturist will ask detailed questions about and your symptoms of pain and diarrhea. Points near the navel along the foot stomach meridian are used to treat acute diarrhea. To treat chronic intestinal discomfort, the practitioner may choose points along the liver, spleen, or kidney meridians.
HERBAL THERAPIES
Powdered slippery Elm bark is soothing to the intestines. Dissolve ¼ tsp. in a glass of warm water and drink four times a day. Tea made with Chamomile, Marsh mallow, or Bay berry is also soothing. Steep 1 tsp. of the herb in a cup of boiling water and drink three times a day.
HOMEOPATHY
A homeopath will try to determine the origin of the disease and may want to assess your constitutional makeup before prescribing remedies. For symptomatic relief of diarrhea, try the following remedies every 30 minutes, up to four doses a day:
• Mercury’s corrosives 6c if your stool contains blood and mucus and you have a feeling that the bowel has not emptied.
• Arsenic album 6c if you have profuse diarrhea with a burning or colicky stomach, anxiety and chills.
• Podophyllum 6c if you have greenish, painless diarrhea with gurgling and stomach cramps that are worst in the morning.
NUTRITION AND DIET
When the disease is active, you may speed the healing process by drinking juice squeezed from green, leafy vegetables such as cabbage, which are loaded with chlorophyll, or by taking tablets of chlorella, a freshwater alga. Drinking broth made from seaweeds such as kelp may also be helpful. Some doctors recommend a high protein high fiber, low fat diet to speed healing, with extra B vitamins, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and copper. Be sure to check with your doctor or licensed nutritionist before taking vitamin and material supplements, however, because some have laxative or constipating effects. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and flaxseed oils are said to help reduce inflammation. FLAVONOIDS such as quercetin may also reduce inflammation. You can find omega-3 oil and FLAVONOID supplements in health food stores. Your doctor may also recommend powdered psyllium seed, a soluble fiber, to give your stools more bulk. Mix powdered psyllium in cold water, drink it quickly, and drink another glass of water to increase its effectiveness.
REFLEXOLOGY
To soothe a troubled digestive tract, massage the colon, liver, adrenal, lower spine, diaphragm, and gall bladder areas on the foot.
YOGA
The cobra position is considered one of the best for toning the stomach and bowels. Lie on your stomach, with the side of your head resting on the ground and your legs together. Place your hands, palms down, just beneath your shoulders, keeping your head and chest off the floor. With you face forward, look up as high as you can and hold this position for three to six seconds. Exhale and slowly bring your chest and head down. Do up to four times a day. The knee to chest pose is intended to activate the abdominal organs and relieve gas. Stand straight with your arms at your sides. Lift your right knee toward your chest. Grasp your right ankle with your right hand and your leg in as close to your chest as you can. Keep standing straight, and hold for six to eight seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Do up to three times a day.
AT HOME REMEDIES
Use a juicer to squeeze your own cabbage and other green, leafy vegetable juices, and drink at least one glass every day. A snack of celery sticks is another quick way to get an extra measure of fiber. When the occasional about of diarrhea strikes, take time to sit down with a cup of chamomile or marsh mallow root tea.
!!LIVING WITH AN ILEOSTOMY!!
After surgery to remove the disease part of the colon, or large intestine, the cut end of the small intestine the ileum is led through an opening in the lower abdomen and surgically reconstructed to form a new opening a stoma for waste matter. A small plastic bag fastens against the opening to catch waste from the remaining intestine. Because the waste is only partially digested, it is liquid and has mild acidic odor. A nurse will teach you how to wear and care for the ileostomy bag. Some people change the bag every day; others can go for about a week. Your body will quickly adapt to having a shorter intestine, and the waste matter will eventually resemble more normal feces. To counteract any unpleasant odors, you can add an aspirin tablet or a little baking soda to each new bag. The stoma eventually shrinks to about the size of a nickel, but the skin around it may remain sensitive and require attention to prevent it from becoming irritated. People with ileostomies are surprised that the bag hardly interferes with their normal lives. After recovery from an ileostomy, you will probably be able to do everything you could before, even swimming and having normal sexual relation. You can also enjoy a normal diet, although you may have to cut out certain foods, such as popcorn and very fibrous vegetables that may tend to clog the stoma.
PREVENTION
There is no evidence that food allergies cause CRHON’S but food sensitivities may add to the irritation of the colon. To check for sensitivities, avoid suspected food for 10 to 30 days, and then try it. If a reaction occurs, eliminating the food from your diet. Common allergens are dairy products, eggs, and water.
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