Health Center - Digestive Disorders
Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux and constipation can have devastating effects on your life. Don’t let your symptoms cramp your style. Find tips and ideas below for taking control of your condition, and start feeling better soon.
Tips for Keeping Crohn's Disease in Check
De-stress with exercise. If you haven't already, learn to make exercise your friend. Regular exercise can help you to manage Crohn's symptoms and prevent flare-ups. Studies show that walking three times a week and other low-intensity workouts improve Crohn's symptoms and quality of life. Exercise reduces the stress that triggers flare-ups and can help prevent depression, which sometimes occurs in people with chronic conditions like Crohn's. People with Crohn's disease also are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis, which can lead to injuries. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, dancing and climbing stairs can help to prevent osteoporosis. Talk with your health care team about an exercise plan that will help you to live well with Crohn's.
Maintain a positive attitude. As you learn to adjust to living with Crohn's, it's important that you continually strive to have a positive, optimistic attitude. Remember that having Crohn's does not define who you are. Consider keeping a journal in which you make note each day of something you're grateful for—be it something small, like a funny movie you watched with a friend, to something substantial, like the birth of a child in your family.
Additionally, don't underestimate the importance of connecting with other people who have Crohn's. They can teach you how to better prevent and manage your symptoms and can help answer your questions.
For more information on Crohn's disease, visit www.HealthyWomen.org or www.CrohnsAndMe.com.
This program is sponsored by UCB, Inc.
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learn about crohn's disease
Visit HealthyWomen.org/crohns and www.CrohnsAndMe.com to find out more about Crohn's disease and hear from other people with Crohn's as they share their personal experiences. Other resources include the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (www.ccfa.org), the American College of Gastroenterology (www.acg.gi.org) and the American Gastroenterological Association (www.gastro.org).
what is crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract, most commonly affecting the small intestine and/or colon. The symptoms and complications of Crohn's can be different for everyone, but the most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, fever and rectal bleeding. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and most patients experience cycles of remission and flare-ups throughout their lifetime.
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