Crohn’s Disease Treatment

How is Crohn’s disease treated?

The treatment of Crohn’s disease will vary with each individual and will depend on the location and severity of inflammation within the GI tract. It is important to remember that Crohn’s disease cannot be cured by medication or surgery. Both treatment strategies however can effectively relieve symptoms and give one a better quality of life.

Medication

Several types of medications are available that reduce the inflammation and give the intestines a chance to heal. Often, the same medications will be used in treating flare-ups and preventing symptoms during remission, but will usually be administered in different dosages and schedules.

Surgery

Some people with Crohn’s disease might require surgery to remove diseased portions of the intestine or to treat complications that arose when a medical treatment was ineffective. But even if diseased parts of the intestines are removed, Crohn’s disease can re-appear in other areas.

Crohn’s Disease Diet

Proper diet and nutrition play an important role in relieving symptoms of Crohn’s disease, replacing lost nutrients, and preventing unwanted weight loss.

X-Rays and Endoscopy Procedures

Although x-rays and endoscopy procedures are generally kept to a minimum for those diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, it is likely they will need to be repeated from time to time to determine success after surgery or, more routinely:
• to check on the extent of the inflammation
• to see if there are any changes in tissues (e.g., development of pre-cancerous cells)
• to determine whether on not a particular treatment strategy is working.

Additional Information:

• About Crohn’s Disease
• Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
• Crohn’s Disease Diagnosis