Crohn's disease. What is important to know
NewsCrohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is an autoimmune disease.
- In patients with this disease, the immune system periodically attacks the gastrointestinal tract (GI), which leads to inflammation.
These attacks or exacerbations cause the following symptoms:
- abdominal pain
- fever
- diarrhea
- bleeding from the anus.
What is important to know about Crohn's Disease?
Crohn's disease is different for everyone
It can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, but
- in about 70% of cases, it affects the distal part of the small intestine and the proximal part of the large intestine – the ileocecal angle,
- and about 30% of patients suffer from Crohn's colitis, which affects only the colon.
Different localization of the inflammatory process can cause completely different symptoms, severity of the disease, and response to treatment.
But despite this, the course of the disease can be very different in patients with the same type of Crohn's disease.
- At present, it is not known exactlywhat these differences are related to.
It's not your fault that you have Crohn's disease
It is known that the diet is not the root cause of the disease, even though certain foods can aggravate the course of the disease and cause a strong exacerbation.
- The manifestation of the disease is a combination of a hereditary factor with environmental factors, as a result of which an autoimmune response develops.
Drug therapy can and should be tailored to your type of Crohn's disease
Although there are no cures for Crohn's disease today, in most cases they can prevent an exacerbation of the disease.
Like the disease itself, proper treatment varies from person to person.
For example, in patients with colon lesions, treatment usually begins with 5-ASA (5-aminosalicylic acid) drugs that directly act on mucosal inflammation.
- Despite the fact that this group of drugs is very effective as an anti-inflammatory therapy, it does not have a very good effect on the small intestine.
- In this regard, patients with ileocolitis are usually prescribed immunomodulators (agents that suppress the immune system) or biological drugs, as well as their combinations.
The treatment should be adapted to the patient's life
Many different biologics are currently available, including adalimumab, infliximab, certolizumab, and usteinumab.
When deciding which drug is suitable for a particular patient, you need to consider not only the type of Crohn's disease.
- For example, ustekinumab is also used for plaque psoriasis, adalimumab and infliximab are also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
- For patients with Crohn's disease who have a lesion of the joints and skin, biological drugs will be doubly useful.
Another distinctive feature of each drug is the method and frequency of administration.
- For example, infliximab is administered only once every 8 weeks, but this usually requires hospitalization in a hospital.
- Adalimumab can be taken independently, but it must be administered once a week or two.
Remission does not mean that you should stop taking your medication
With the right treatment , Crohn's disease often goes into remission, but that doesn't meanyou should stop taking it.
- Stopping medication, even in patients in remission, increases the risk of an exacerbation in the next year by 40-50%.
- And very often, such an exacerbation can lead to hospitalization, the development of complications and surgery.
- In rare cases, it may be decided to cancel specific therapy. As a rule, such a decision is made with good health for several years, but it is decided on an individual basis.
If the drugs do not have an effect, there are other treatment options
If the drug therapy has no effect, and the patient's condition gradually or sharply deteriorates, the question of surgical treatment is discussed.
- About 2/3 of patients with Crohn's disease need surgery at some point in time.
Alcohol is not so bad
Moderate alcohol consumption (one serving for women and two servings for men) does not harm people with Crohn's disease.
- And since alcohol slightly suppresses the immune system, it can also have useful qualities. But this is onlywhen you don't drink too much.
- Alcohol abuse leads to an increase in the permeability of the intestinal wall, this can lead to an exacerbation of the disease.
Most likely you will not have to limit your diet
As a rule, patients outside of exacerbation do not need to limit their diet.
- Very often, a certain dietthat may work for one patientmay not work for another.
If your disease is active, then you should avoid the following foods:
- milk
- caffeine
- high-fiber foods.
However, when the disease is in remission, the patient is advised to eat as much of a variety of healthy foods as possible.
Good sleep helps prevent exacerbations
Poor sleep is another lifestyle factor that can worsen Crohn's disease.
- It is recommended to go to bed and wake up at the same time, including weekends, you need to sleep at least 7 hours a day.
- It has been proven that people who do not get enough sleep and people with irregular sleeppatterns have a more active disease.
- In addition, it is very important to be under the rays of daylight during the day, and sleep should take place in maximum darkness.
Reducing stress reduces the frequency and severity of exacerbation
Studies have shown that stress-reduction interventions can improve the quality of life of patients with Crohn's disease
These include:
- meditation
- physical exercises
- listening to music
- yoga classes
- all kinds of relaxing treatments.
It is also very important to attend support groups.
Despite the fact that different people have different diseases, it is a great relief to be able to talk, share experiences and stories, and know that you are not alone.
