About this topic
Crohns disease is a long-term illness that may cause redness, swelling, and irritation of the digestive tract. Your digestive tract includes the mouth, swallowing tube, stomach, and small intestine. It most often bothers a part of the small intestines called the ileum. The swelling caused by this illness can cause belly pain, fever, loss of appetite, loose stools, blood in the stool, and pain when having a stool. ‚
Treatment may include drugs and good nutrition. Sometimes, you may need to have surgery. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Make sure to take all the drugs ordered by your doctor.
- Your doctor may give you extra vitamins. Take them as ordered by your doctor.
- Keep notes of what you eat. Watch for foods that may cause you to feel worse or make your illness worse. Avoid these foods in the future.
- Learn how to manage stress. Ask your doctor about breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. Support groups are available to help you to deal with Crohns. They offer support related to diet and other concerns.
- Get lots of rest so that your body can heal and absorb nutrients.
- Your doctor might need to form an ileostomy or colostomy. Your doctor will talk about this with you if you need this type of surgery. An ileostomy needs special care. Your doctor will provide a special nurse, called an enterostomal therapist, to help you care for the ostomy.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your condition needs close monitoring. Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor will tell you if other tests are needed.
- Your doctor may send you to a specialist.
- Visit a mental health doctor to talk about your worries and fears.
- Keep drinking fluids so your body does not lose too much. This is very important when you have loose stools so you do not become dehydrated. Drink small amounts of fluids as you are able. Good things to drink are water, rehydration drinks, and caffeine free soda or tea.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Reduce swelling of the bowel
- Help with pain
- Prevent or fight an infection
- Lessen your immune system so that it does not attack its own tissues. I.V. treatments are used to give these drugs. The drugs lessen your bodys ability to fight other infections. Avoid crowds and people who have colds and other infections while you are receiving the treatments.
- Treat loose or hard stool
Will physical activity be limited?
Your belly pain or loose stools may make you want to be less active. Rest until you are feeling better. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Talk to a dietitian about the best diet for your illness.
- Stay away from fatty, greasy, or fried foods.
- Dairy products cause problems with some patients. Take extra care or eat small amounts of cheese and milk if you have a history of an upset stomach after eating them.
- Stay away from foods that are high in fiber. They can cause gas. Foods like beans, nuts, bran, popcorn, and some fruits and vegetables are high in fiber.
- When your illness is acting up, eat bland foods such as rice, potatoes, and other foods that are easy to digest. Drinks high in calories are good when it is hard to eat solid food.
- Pay attention to how you feel after you eat. You will learn which foods cause you problems with your stomach. Eat healthy foods that do not upset your stomach or cause cramping and loose stools.
- Stop smoking to help lessen the risk of problems and flare-ups.
What problems could happen?
- Poor nutrition
- Weight loss
- Weak bones
- Infection
- Block in the intestine
- Hole in the digestive tract
- More risk of cancer in the intestines
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Very bad belly pain
- Loose bowel movements of more than 6 times in 24 hours with throwing up
- Black or bloody stools
- You are having problems coping with your illness
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
- Keep a list of foods that make you sick. This may help with the choices you make.
- When eating out, ask about the ingredients used in your food.
- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine. These may worsen your belly pain.
- Join support groups to get to know other people who have coped with the condition.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my diet or drugs.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have very bad belly pain or black or bloody stools.
Where can I learn more?
American Dietetic Association ‚
http://nutritioncaremanual.org/vault/editor/Docs/Crohns_IBDNutritionTherapy.pdf ‚
Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America ‚
http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns ‚
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse ‚
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/ ‚
United Ostomy Associations of America ‚
http://www.ostomy.org/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚