Homeopathy Treatment for Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease/ Colitis/ CD/Granulomatous Ileitis/Regional Enteritis/Ileocolitis
Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum.
Crohn’s disease is closely related to another condition of inflammation of the intestines called ulcerative colitis. Together, they are frequently referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s diseases are chronic conditions that can last years to decades.
Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have a blood relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn’s disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s disease.
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Causes of Crohn’s Disease
No one knows what causes crohn’s disease. The theories suggest various intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for crohn’s disease.
Intrinsic or internal factors include: –
Hereditary factors/genetic factors- it is seen that if there is immediate family member having crohn’s disease, then your chances of having the disease increases.
Faulty immune-system– it is believed that it is responsible for the inflammation of the GI tract.
The disturbance is thought to be either of two: –
Allergy: studies suggest that crohn’s disease is a form of increased allergic response to certain food or to the presence of some microorganisms in the GI tract.
Autoimmunity: Most recent research indicates that crohn’s disease can be a form of autoimmune disease in which body’s defense system starts attacking body’s own organs and tissues.
Extrinsic or external factors/ triggering factors include: –
Diet– certain foods items are known to trigger crohn’s disease like junk food, dairy products etc.
Infection– studies suggest that certain bacterial and viral infections like mycobacterium are known to trigger CD.
Drugs– recent research shows that certain drugs like antibiotics, aspirin, contraceptive pills; NSAID’s are known to flare up CD.
Stress- Recent studies has accepted the fact that any kind of emotional stress has definite detrimental effect on the immune system and hence can be the root cause of chronic disease like crohn’s disease.
How does Crohn’s Disease affect the intestines?
In the early stages, Crohn’s disease causes small, scattered, shallow, crater-like areas (erosions) on the inner surface of the bowel. These erosions are called aphthous ulcers. With time, the erosions become deeper and larger, ultimately becoming true ulcers (which are deeper than erosions) and causing scarring and stiffness of the bowel. As the disease progresses, the bowel becomes increasingly narrowed, and ultimately can become obstructed. Deep ulcers can puncture holes in the wall of the bowel, and bacteria from within the bowel can spread to infect adjacent organs and the surrounding abdominal cavity.
Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn’s disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. The range and severity of symptoms varies.
The location of the disease decides the symptoms of disease. The different subtypes of Crohn’s Disease and their symptoms are:
- Crohn’s colitis is inflammation that is confined to the colon. Abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea are the common symptoms. Anal fistulae and peri-rectal abscesses also can occur.
- Crohn’s enteritis refers to inflammation confined to the small intestine (the first part, called the jejunum or the second part, called the ileum). Involvement of the ileum alone is referred to as Crohn’s ileitis. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Obstruction of the small intestine also can occur.
- Crohn’s terminal ileitis is inflammation that affects only the very end of the small intestine (terminal ileum), the part of the small intestine closest to the colon. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.
- Crohn’s entero-colitis and ileo-colitis are terms to describe inflammation that involve both the small intestine and the colon. Bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain are the common symptoms. Small intestinal obstruction also can occur.
Complications of Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease may lead to one or more of the following complications:
Intestinal complications
- Bowel obstruction. Crohn’s disease affects the entire thickness of the intestinal wall. Over time, parts of the bowel can thicken and narrow, which may block the flow of digestive contents through the affected part of your intestine.
- Ulcers. Chronic inflammation can lead to open sores (ulcers) anywhere in your digestive tract, including your mouth and anus, and in the genital area (perineum) and anus.
- Fistulas. Sometimes ulcers can extend completely through the intestinal wall, creating a fistula — an abnormal connection between different parts of your intestine, between your intestine and skin, or between your intestine and another organ, such as the bladder or vagina. When internal fistulas develop, food may bypass areas of the bowel that are necessary for absorption. An external fistula can cause continuous drainage of bowel contents to your skin, and in some cases, a fistula may become infected and form an abscess, a problem that can be life-threatening if left untreated.
- Anal fissure. This is a crack, or cleft, in the anus or in the skin around the anus where infections can occur. It’s often associated with painful bowel movements.
- Malnutrition. Diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping may make it difficult for you to eat or for your intestine to absorb enough nutrients to keep you nourished. Additionally, anemia is common in people with Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s Disease and Cancer
People who have had Crohn’s disease for several years are at increased risk of developing cancer in the inflamed part of their bowel. Screening for colon cancer may be beneficial in this group.
Extra-intestinal complications
When Crohn’s disease causes a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms, the person may also experience inflammation of the joints (arthritis), inflammation of the whites of the eyes (episcleritis), mouth sores (aphthous stomatitis), inflamed skin nodules on the arms and legs (erythema nodosum), and blue-red skin sores containing pus (pyoderma gangrenosum). Even when Crohn’s disease is not causing a flare-up of gastrointestinal symptoms, the person still may experience pyoderma gangrenosum, while inflammation of the spine (ankylosing spondylitis), inflammation of the pelvic joints (sacroiliitis), inflammation inside the eye (uveitis), or inflammation of the bile ducts (primary sclerosing cholangitis) are liable to occur entirely without relation to the clinical activity of the bowel disease.
Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease
The doctor will take a history and perform a thorough physical examination. Slow growth may be a key feature in making a diagnosis, particularly of Crohn’s disease, in children.
Several laboratory tests may be performed:
- Blood tests are used for various purposes. An increased number of white blood cells may indicate the presence of inflammation. Blood tests are used to determine the presence of anemia and to measure liver enzymes. (They are abnormal in about 3% of ulcerative colitis patients.) New blood tests that measure certain antibodies may make it easier to differentiate Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis in children.
- A stool sample is taken and examined for blood, infectious organisms, or both.
Procedures Used for Diagnosis
Standard Endoscopic Procedures: Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are procedures that involve snaking a fiberoptic tube called an endoscope through the rectum to view the lining of the colon. The doctor can also insert instruments through it to remove tissue samples.
How homeopathy helps in Crohn’s Disease
- Homeopathic treatment for crohn’s disease is based on the concept of immuno-correction. While choosing the homeopathic medicine the cause of various symptoms like bloody stools, persistent diarrhea, crampy pain in abdomen etc. evaluated such as dietary errors, faulty feeding habits, and mental stress and so on. Proper prescription of homeopathic medicines makes the immune system work more efficiently. Homeopathic Constitutional treatment will reinforce the immune system by escalating the number of specialized white blood cells called T-lymphocytes that are vital in the body’s defense against certain bacteria and fungi, assisting in making antibodies, and facilitating in the recognition and rejection of foreign tissues.
- Homeopathic medicines work as a powerful anti-inflammatory medicine which will help in reducing the frequency of stools, the urging and discomfort associated with the condition, the passage of mucus and blood in the stools, etc. This way homeopathy will help the patients gradually reduce the various steroidal and immunosuppressive drugs which they have been taking for a long time.
- Homeopathic medicines also help in slowing down the progress of the disease and the development of complications. The treatment can help in inducing d can also assist in improving the immunity so that the patient does not face frequent relapses. Homeopathic medicines also improve mental and physical stress, and alter the hereditary predisposition to the disease.
- At a later stage of the disease when structural changes have taken place in the body, Homeopathy has a palliative role to play in this disease reducing the need for steroids and other immunosuppressive medication.
- The remedies soothe and recover the digestive function allowing improved absorption and assimilation of nutrients from food. The nutritional status of the patient also improves with regular Homeopathic medication.
- Homeopathy can also help to prevent the need for surgery in cases of crohn’s disease, if the treatment is opted for at the right time.
- Homeopathic medicines for crohn’s disease are non-habit forming and have no addictive characteristics.
Dietary changes
DIETS ADVISED- It is important to self- manage crohn’s disease with healthy lifestyle habits and a nutrient-rich diet. Paying attention to your nutrition is especially important with GI diseases because the symptoms of diarrhea and bleeding can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and loss of essential nutrients. That can lead to a host of problems such as fatigue, weakness, and anemia.
- The food items advised for the patients– Eating with crohn’s disease should be based on a well-balanced diet that’s high in protein, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, and good fats. Such a diet will provide you with energy and keep you well. Your diet may include meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products (if you don’t have lactose intolerance); breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; and margarine and oils. Eat small meals and drink plenty of fluids.
If you are a vegetarian with crohn’s disease, dairy products and plant proteins — such as soy products — can provide the nutritional elements found in meat, fish, and poultry.
Food items to be avoided-Learning to avoid food triggers may give you better control of your disease and allow you greater freedom to enjoy an active life. Despite the fact there is no scientific proof; many people with crohn’s disease have found that one or more of the following foods can trigger their GI symptoms:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Carbonated beverages
- Dairy products, if lactose intolerant
- Dried beans, peas, and legumes
- Dried fruits, berries, fruits with pulp or seeds
- Foods containing sulfur or sulfate
- Foods high in fiber, including whole-grain products
- Hot sauce, pepper
- Meats
- Nuts, crunchy nut butters
- Popcorn
- Products containing sorbitol (sugar-free gum and candies)
- Raw vegetables
- Refined sugar
- Seeds
- Spicy foods, sauces