A Crohn's flare-up starts with various triggers, often involving missed medications, stress, smoking, certain foods, NSAID use, or infections, leading to worsening symptoms like sudden diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, fatigue, and bloody stools, as the immune system inappropriately attacks the gut, causing inflammation. Flares are unpredictable but can be linked to lifestyle factors and immune dysfunction, signaling the body's ongoing inflammatory response.
You may also experience symptoms outside the gut during a flare-up such as:
The symptoms can come on gradually, but they can also show up suddenly. And these can include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and cramping, blood in your stool, mouth sores, reduced appetite and weight loss.
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is not clear. It is probably a combination of genetics, the immune system, and something in the environment that triggers inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Diet and stress may make symptoms worse, but probably don't cause the condition.
Crohn's disease isn't triggered by one thing, but a mix of genetics, an overactive immune response to gut bacteria, and environmental factors like smoking, diet (certain foods can worsen symptoms), stress, and living in developed areas, leading to chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. While stress and diet don't cause Crohn's, they can trigger flare-ups.
Simplify your diet
Sticking to bland foods and clear liquids such as vegetables, lean meats, and broth-based soups can reduce the chances of exacerbating the flare-up. Many patients with Crohn's disease are susceptible to dehydration during a flare, especially because diarrhea is common.
Mild Crohn's disease: This typically occurs in 20% to 30% of people with Crohn's. Symptoms and disease activity are mild (you don't require hospitalization) and there are no complications, according to the journal Current Gastroenterology Reports. Symptoms typically include abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Intestinal conditions mimicking Crohn's disease
Inflammation can affect any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the back passage. But it mostly occurs in the last section of the small intestine (ileum) or the large intestine (colon). Crohn's disease can affect people of all ages, but it's usually diagnosed between the age of 15 and 40.
5 foods to avoid with Crohn's disease.
Clusters of inflammatory cells called granulomas may suggest a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. CT scan. A CT scan is a special X-ray technique that provides more detail than a standard X-ray does. This test looks at the entire bowel as well as at tissues outside the bowel.
Other symptoms of Crohn's disease
The disease can occur at any age, but Crohn's disease is most prevalent in adolescents and adults between the ages of 15 and 35. Diet and stress may aggravate Crohn's disease, but do not cause the disease. Recent research suggests hereditary, genetic, and environmental factors contribute to Crohn's disease development.
The pain is most commonly associated with Crohn's affecting the small intestine, though cramping of all kinds can occur no matter what part of your GI is inflamed. Many patients will experience abdominal pain on the lower right side of their abdomen or around their navel, typically occurring 1 to 2 hours after eating.
You may need to seek medical treatment for a Crohn's flare if your symptoms are severe because this could mean your medications aren't working. In addition, a high fever, blood clots in your stool, and an inability to keep liquids down may require emergency medical attention.
Light to moderate exercise is believed to be safe for people with Crohn's or colitis. In people with inactive or mildly active IBD that are sedentary, moderate walking or yoga can improve quality of life and stress levels, and typically does not worsen symptoms of IBD.
Common Crohn's disease signs and symptoms include:
In general, when experiencing a flare, it is best to avoid greasy and fried foods, which can cause gas and diarrhea. Some people find that foods high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can be problematic.
Histamine-degrading bacteria have shown potential to reduce histamine loads in the gut, mitigating excessive inflammation and preventing intestinal permeability. Furthermore, probiotics influence vitamin D metabolism, helping to strengthen the intestinal barrier and modulate immune responses.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two main forms of inflammatory bowel diseases. They are both conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis involves inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In this condition, however, only the lining of the large intestine, or colon, is affected. Ulcerative colitis causes multiple ulcers to form on the intestinal wall.
I wake up every day with terrible stomach pains and diarrhea.” There are several reasons why someone might experience worse Crohn's or ulcerative colitis symptoms in the morning. Everyone's colon tends to be more active in the morning. (The colon is the part of your large intestine connected to the small intestine.
Getting diagnosed with Crohn's
Your healthcare provider will likely perform a physical exam, ask about your family medical history, and use a combination of testing methods to make a diagnosis. It may include lab tests of your blood and stool. Imaging and endoscopic procedures also provide important information.