Crohn's disease, which may also be spelled as crones disease, is a serious autoimmune disorder. It is classified as an inflammatory bowel disease, in which the entire digestive system is susceptible to attack from your own immune system. Crohn's disease patients may also suffer from arthritis, another prevalent autoimmune disease.
Symptoms of Crohn's Disease
The symptoms of Crohn's disease include chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas and bloating, rectal bleeding, and blood in the stool. The symptoms may come and go and range from mild to very severe.
IBS and ulcerative colitis share some of the same symptoms. IBS is usually easier to identify as it involves both constipation and diarrhea and has no intestinal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is usually limited to bleeding of the large intestine and rectum and has pain in the lower left abdomen. In Crohn's disease, inflammation can be anywhere in the digestive track and is often associated with pain in the lower right abdomen.
Although Crohn's disease is not curable, it can be naturally managed with dietary controls and the right herbal supplements.
Crohn's Disease Diet
In food allergies, the irritating food also triggers inflammation. For this reason, some people believe you can alleviate the symptoms by cutting out certain offending food groups. Food, however, is not the cause of the disease. Proper diet will help with the symptoms, but not eliminate them.
Most dietary changes first focus on common food allergens, which include dairy, gluten (wheat products), fibers, grease, eggs, shellfish, and soy. You do not and should not cut out all potential allergens out at once. Rather, eliminate one group for a week and see if there are any changes in symptoms. With some trials and errors, you may be able to identify the foods that give you the most trouble. You should also eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day, which will put less stress on your digestive system and allow for better absorption.
Crohn's Disease Natural Herbal Remedies
Because of the inflammatory nature of the diease, herbal remedies that are anti-inflammatory work the best. Ginger, coconut, peppermint oil capsules, garlic, and green tea are all anti-inflammatory. Many people have reported some success with those remedies.
There are many other fancy herbal forumlas on the web with little documented success or background. One exception among them is the Aloe Elite Herbal Supplement. Aloe Elite is a aloe vera based anti-inflammatory herbal extract, which is highly effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders, including crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
