Top Ten Tips for Managing Crohn’s Disease Symptoms

If your gastroenterologist or provider believes that your symptoms can be managed with a few changes to your current routine, then it’s likely he or she will recommend the following tips in order to keep Crohn’s under control.

If your gastroenterologist or provider believes that your symptoms can be managed with a few changes to your current routine, then it’s likely he or she will recommend the following tips in order to keep Crohn’s under control.

1. Crohn’s can be triggered by specific foods – Know your triggers and try to avoid them whenever possible. Dairy products are a common trigger for Crohn’s symptoms, and so are foods that can make a person “gassy”, such as spicy food, beans, or cabbage.
2. Keep your meal size small – Frequent, smaller meals are best for a Crohn’s-affected digestive system. This does not mean you need to eat less over the course of a day. Just divide up your normal meals into smaller sizes, and factor in snacks in between breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. Be prepared for travel – If you are traveling away from home, it can help to plan ahead and learn about the bathroom situation(s) where you’ll be staying and what foods are available.
4. Quit smoking ASAP – You’re probably already aware of how tobacco can damage a person’s health, particularly long-term, but smoking is a known trigger for Crohn’s symptoms.
5. Assess your aspirin use – Aspirin and certain other medications can exacerbate inflammation from Crohn’s. Talk to your doctor about alternative medications.
6. Start tracking – If you’re new to Crohn’s and unsure what may trigger unpleasant symptoms, start tracking foods which give you symptoms after eating them and foods which give you no symptoms. Getting a feel for the types of foods and even restaurants you can visit without symptoms appearing after a meal will lessen the amount of stress you feel and the planning that’s usually needed for Crohn’s sufferers.
7. Consider supplements – If you’re cutting out certain food types from your diet in order to avoid symptoms, then you may miss out on their nutritional value. Your doctor can help determine if there is a need for supplements in your diet.
8. Knowledge really is power – Learning everything you can about Crohn’s is important, especially if you are only recently diagnosed. Every person with Crohn’s can have different triggers and symptoms, but becoming familiar with how the disease can affect your health and lifestyle is often the first step in getting it under control.
9. Try something new – Sometimes, simply preparing food in a different way than you normally would can help with how your body digests food and cut down on Crohn’s inflammation. Consider switching up how you cook your food – raw, boiled, steamed, fried, diced, chopped, shredded, etc.
10. Seek support – Crohn’s disease affects men, women and children – you are certainly not alone. Whether online or in-person, support groups offer a place for education and expression.

If you have further questions about Crohn’s management, please contact the GI specialists of SFGI.