How to Treat & Manage Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

ok so what is Inflammatory Bowel Disease read below to find out....

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) can be painful and difficult to experience. In many cases, common treatments exist to help repair damaged bowels, reduce or eliminate symptoms, or prevent complications of the disease.

Steps To Prevent Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Discuss Your IBD with a Health Professional Treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases will vary depending on the severity and frequency of your symptoms. Besides working hard to keep yourself healthy and active, particularly during periods of fewer symptoms, most treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases involves medical procedures. A trained specialist or your primary care provider should be able to discuss possible treatment methods with you to find the best individual plan for treatment.

1. Confirm your diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. An accurate diagnosis is essential to appropriate treatment. Ask your healthcare provider whether there are additional tests necessary to solidify your diagnosis prior to beginning aggressive or targeted treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
2. Discuss non-medical options for treatment. In many cases, nutritional changes and lifestyle tweaks can help control symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Ask about specific dietary changes you can begin immediately to help prevent flare-ups or to ease symptoms and reduce inflammation.
3. Ask about current available treatment options. The current treatments offered for Inflammatory Bowel Disease include dietary changes, medication, and surgery. Surgery is often a last resort treatment or is used to remove pre-cancerous pockets of cells.
   • Specific treatments will depend on whether you have Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, or another form of IBD.

Design Your IBD Treatment Regimen Because there are multiple forms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and due to the variety of symptoms and experiences people have with the disease, treatment for IBD is almost always individualized. In many cases, treatment plans will change with time, depending on your health and symptoms, as medications and dietary alterations can lose some effectiveness over time.

1. Keep a record of flare-ups and symptoms. Recording your diet and symptoms in a journal for a few weeks will help a dietitian or physician develop a nutritional intervention plan to ease your symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
   • Unless your symptoms are currently very severe, your healthcare provider may have you adjust your diet to test its effectiveness on easing symptoms before prescribing medication.
2. Discuss potential medications with a health professional. Many medications have been developed to reduce inflammation and ease the pain and discomfort of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
   • Medication options include anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone or steroids, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, and other prescription drugs that fight irritation and prevent symptoms.
   • Just as with other medications, IBD drugs involve some side effects and may not be compatible with certain other medications. Be sure to discuss any other medications or supplements you take with your healthcare provider.
   • In some cases, the first medication you try may not be effective or suitable for your lifestyle. You may have to try several types of medicine before you find a drug that works well for you and eliminates your symptoms.
3. Have a plan for care during severe flare-ups. Even with treatment, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases can involve painful resurgences of symptoms that do not subside with use of your medication and dietary regimen.
   • Discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider for such instances, including which over-the-counter medications may help ease symptoms and whether he or she is available for emergency treatment in severe cases.
4. Consider surgery a last resort option. Well-managed Inflammatory Bowel Diseases may never require surgery. In some cases, however, significant bowel damage or dangerous pre-cancer cells may develop, necessitating surgery.
   • If you do not currently require surgical intervention, following your treatment plan closely and adjusting your treatment when necessary under the guidance of a health professional can help you avoid surgery in the future.

Focus on Improving Quality of Life A major goal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases treatments is to restore your quality of life, particularly when the disease is well managed during periods of remission.

1. Stay active. Because Inflammatory Bowel Diseases flare-ups can limit physical activity, many IBD specialists encourage patients to take advantage of remission periods to enjoy physical activities that may other times be impossible.
   • When you feel well, go dancing with your significant other, take a swim, chase your children around in the park, ride your bicycle, train for a race or sporting competition, or enjoy gardening. Taking advantage of your mobility and freedom from symptoms can help make Inflammatory Bowel Diseases less intimidating and restrictive.
2. Eat well. Good overall nutrition helps give your body the nutrients it needs to control inflammation and manage symptoms with less inconvenience.
   • In some cases, a gluten-free diet may help ease symptoms. Do not begin a restrictive diet plan or eliminate entire food groups from your daily diet without the advice of a dietitian or nutritionist and the approval of your physician.
3. Be social. By enjoying your symptom-free time as much as possible, you can help relieve stress and anxiety surrounding your condition, which may itself ease some of your symptoms.
   • Socializing with friends and family can help improve your quality of life, making flare-ups more bearable and reminding you that it is possible to live a happy, well-balanced life with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Tips Regarding Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

• Many dietary changes and medications may become less effective over time. It is important to regularly discuss your symptoms and treatment options with a health professional to keep tailoring the best possible treatment plan to manage your condition.

Warnings About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

• Do not attempt to self-diagnose Inflammatory Bowel Diseases or to treat its symptoms without the help of a health professional. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases symptoms can be indicative of other problems or conditions and must be professionally diagnosed before beginning an IBD treatment regimen.

Sources and Citations

• http://www.ccfa.org/info/diet
• http://www.mayoclinic.org/ibd/treatment.html
• http://www.ccfa.org/info/treatment/?LMI=5.1
• http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/#treatment

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