How to treat inflammatory bowel disease

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Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammation in any part of the digestive system. Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and the individual can suffer from severe diarrhea, fatigue as well as pain and weight loss.

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Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-term sores and inflammation or ulcers found in the innermost lining of the large intestines, colon and the rectum.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract and spreads into the affected tissues. The condition can affect different areas of the digestive tract such as the large and small intestines.

Inflammatory bowel disease
Abdominal pain and cramping caused by ulceration and inflammation along with nausea and vomiting

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases vary depending on the harshness of the inflammation and where it occurs. The symptoms can be mild to severe. Some sign and symptoms that are common to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include the following:

  • Fever and fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain and cramping caused by ulceration and inflammation along with nausea and vomiting
  • Blood in the stool
  • The appetite is reduced due to the abdominal pain and cramping as well as the inflammation.
  • The affected person can become malnourished due to difficulty in digesting and absorbing food.

Causes of inflammatory bowel disease

One cause of inflammatory bowel disease is the malfunction of the immune system. The body tries to fight invading viruses and bacteria and an abnormal immune system causes the immune system to attack the cells found in the digestive tract. Heredity can cause inflammatory bowel disease among those who have family members with the disease.

Treatment and home remedies

If you will register for first aid training today, you will learn how to properly manage this condition.

  • Limit consumption of the dairy products to ease problems such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and gas.
  • Avoid eating butter, margarine, cream sauces and fried foods. If the person has Crohn’s disease of the small intestines, the individual could not digest or absorb the fats normally.
  • The individual should eat foods that are high in fiber such as fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains.
  • Avoid eating spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine since it can make the symptoms worse.
  • Perform regular exercise since it serves as a good defense against inflammatory bowel disease. It keeps the body balanced, burns calories, increases the energy and aids in the digestion.
  • Avoid stress by finding time to relax and unwind.

Dietary measures to consider

Eat small meals like five to six small meals a day rather than two or three larger meals.

Drink plenty of fluids every day such as water. Avoid drinking alcohol and certain beverages that contains caffeine since it stimulates the intestines that will worsen diarrhea while carbonated drinks trigger the production of gas in the stomach.

Take multivitamin and mineral supplements since Crohn’s disease interferes with the ability of the body to absorb nutrients.

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