What Is Triggering Your Crohns Symptoms?

Those with Crohn's disease know how blissful a period of remission feels, and how they will do anything to avoid activities or actions that might trigger inflammation and a return of unwanted crohn s symptoms.

Almost all of the Crohn s symptoms you might have are due to this inflammation. If that can be avoided, you may see a reduction in the number of flare-ups that you have to endure. Most of this inflammation occurs within in the intestines, and that might lead you to believe that the foods you eat are triggers. This is only partly true. Though none of these triggers are proven, there are many who believe them to be true. Research is ongoing.

One commonly held belief is that bacteria can cause a flare up of inflammation. There is always bacteria in the digestive system, as many actually aid in digestion of foods and liquids. However, there are some foods that create excess bacteria when they are digested, and milk is one that is said to be a t rigger. When people who are lactose intolerant ingest milk the bacteria produced can be overabundant. However, it is thought that it only takes one initial contact with the excess bacteria to cause a reaction, and even if you remove that trigger, reactions can still occur later down the road.

Stress is another trigger that a lot of sufferers regard as one of their biggest problems. There is no scientific evidence to back that up, but many swear it. However, it is not a cause of Crohn's as many believe, but reducing stress can help reduce flare-ups of Crohn's symptoms.

There has been research that suggests stress can lower the body's immunity. You may already know that Crohn's is an autoimmune disease, so it makes sense that stress could be a trigger. It would also make sense that you should learn to reduce your stresses, and find ways to cope when things are out of hand. Breathing techniques might be great tools for when you are feeling overwhelmed with stress.

There are other items that we ingest that might trigger the inflammation that causes symptoms. Some believe that both antibiotics and NSAIDs are common problems. Antibiotics are often needed to treat infections, and that makes them hard to avoid. NSAIDs like ibuprofen are easier to avoid if they are triggers for you. One of the most agreed upon environmental triggers is smoking. If you smoke, you should quit. You should also avoid being in an enclosed area with someone who smokes so you aren't getting it second hand.

Though these triggers are not completely accepted, many believe they are big problems. There is also research that indicates there may be a defective gene that can trigger Crohn's in some people. This has been reported on the Mayo Clinic's website, and even though the research is on going, they say this is a promising sign in the search for a cure.

If you think your Crohn s symptoms are being triggered by cer tain things, you should eliminate those items or actions from your life to see if improvements are made to your symptoms.