Crohns Disease

Crohn’s disease, also known as IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. It primarily causes ulcerations of the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the anus. 

The symptoms  of Crohn’s disease depends on the areas of the bowel that are involved.

1. Diarrhea – Waxes and wanes; stool may contain mucus, blood, or pus.
2. Pain in the abdomen – Cramps or steady; in the right lower part of the abdomen or around the belly button; often relieved temporarily by having a bowel movement.
3. Bloating and pain after eating – Less common, usually seen in cases of bowel obstruction.
4. Constipation – Usually seen in cases of bowel obstruction.
5. Pain or bleeding with bowel movement.
6. Infection of the urinary tract or vagina – Suggests a fistula from the intestinal tract .
   In some cases weight loss and fatigue occurs .
   

1. Hereditary .
2. Malfunctioning of immune system due to high inflammation in the body caused by environmental conditions or diet
3. Untimely food habits.
4. Eating mindlessly, habits of eating too fast or too slow.
5. Sedentary lifestyle - leading to low metabolism and weakened digestive system.
6. Eating incompatible foods or wrong combinations like milk and fish or curd recipes etc which can cause inflammation if consumed over prolonged periods.
7. Stress and anxiety.                                                                                                                                              According to Ayurveda there are three elements present in our body; vata, pitta and kapha which should be in balance. Because of the above said causative factors three doshas get vitiated causing weak or impaired digestive fire. Impaired digestive fire produces toxins(ama) in the body resulting in crohn’s disease.
   

1. Giving relief from abdominal pain, bloating and maintaining the normal bowel movement.
2. Treating inflammation of the intestine and prevention of complication
3. Improving overall digestive health and peristalsis so that recurrence of Crohn’s disease can be prevented.
4. Regular intake of supplements to cure Crohn’s disease  in the form of herbs and herbomineral preparations  
   

The first line of treatment should always be avoiding the causative factors. If the problem persists then should consider the following treatment protocol.

• Bloating and pain after eating - Poor absorption of food by the small intestine more undigested food reaches the colon resulting in inflammation causing bloating and pain. Manage with Shunthi and  Shankhavati
• Pain in the abdomen/Abdominal Cramps or pain in the right lower part of the abdomen or around the belly button - Inflammation and undigested food particles causes partial obstruction, may be localized to the periumbilical area causing pain. Patients tend to eat less  resulting in weight loss and tiredness to avoid discomfort. Kamdudha and Laghusootshekhar ras heals the inflammation and stimulate the digestion. Guduchi will help to get rid of tiredness and balance the vitiated pitta.
• Diarrhoea, or constipation - Inflammation, problems with gut mobility, hypersensitivity to pressure within the intestine or imbalance in the gut bacteria causes change in bowel pattern. Managing the condition with Kutaja, Indrayava, Bilva which have multiple effects on the guts by regulating the intestinal transit, repair and heal the colon lining.
• Infection of the urinary tract or vagina, fistula from the intestinal tract and bleeding with bowel movement - The inflammation can extend across the entire intestinal wall and adjacent structures sometimes forming tracks or fistula causing infection on the urinary tract or vagina. Blood loss can also occur when an anal fissure has developed due to complication. Manage it with Gairika, Suvarna makshika, Nagakesara

Kutaja, Bilva, Guduchi, Kamadudha, Laghusootshekhar ras, Gairika, Suvarna makshika, Indrayava, Nagakesara, Shankhavati, Shunthi

See your doctor if you have persistent changes in your bowel habits or if you have any of the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease, such as:

Unexplained weight loss

Unexplained fever lasting more than a day or two

Ongoing bouts of diarrhoea that don't respond to over-the-counter (OTC) medications

Blood in your stool

Abdominal pain