What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that over 780,000 Americans suffer from this disease every year. It affects patients between the ages group of 15-70 years. Crohn’s disease is a long-term illness and some believe it is an autoimmune disease caused by the immune system attacking the inner lining and the good bacteria present in the gut while others think it is caused by various factors such as a harmful bacteria called Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis.
In our experience, Crohn’s disease is caused by an unnatural diet and lifestyle which causes an overload of toxins in the body. The symptoms of Crohn’s disease are a sign that the body is trying to heal and protect itself from a toxic overburden.
Crohn’s Disease Causes:
While the exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown there are several eating habits and leading an unhealthy lifestyle that has been correlated to the disease through scientific studies. There are several factors that aggravate Crohn’s disease symptoms.
They are as follows-
– A diet which is high in animal protein from foods such as meat, dairy, eggs and fish.
– Smoking tends to cause an imbalance in the body that leads to greater inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
– Consuming alcohol tends to lead to severe flares and greater inflammation for those who suffer from Crohn’s disease.
– Eating processed food, refined flour products, or oily, fatty food which is difficult to digest tends to lead to severe inflammation.
– Having a diet that does not contain sufficient vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are important for the health of your digestive tract and a lack of them causes Crohn’s disease.
– Chronic overeating also tends to exert the digestive system and cause strain due to which the symptoms of Crohn’s disease start to appear.
How Does Crohn’s Disease Affect your Life?
Since Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract and causes inflammation of the organs involved in digestion, a host of other health issues are caused due to untreated Crohn’s disease. Here are how Crohn’s disease affects your body-
Eyes:
Uvea is a tissue that is present under the white of your eye. It is made up of several different parts such as the iris and the choroid and the ciliary layer that support the pupil. Uveitis is the inflammation of this layer and it is characterized by soreness, redness, blurred or cloudy vision, headaches, and sensitivity to light. Some people also experience floating spots in their vision.
One of the leading causes of Uveitis is digestive tract disorder. It is estimated that over 17% of people who suffer from Crohn’s disease symptoms tend to develop uveitis. While one of the most commonly used methods to treat uveitis caused by digestive tract disorders is to use steroid eye drops or immunosuppressants. However, with the right Crohn’s disease diet and nutrition, it is possible to tackle the effects it has on your Uvea.
Mouth:
Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract, anus, and mouth the most. Most people who suffer from digestive tract disorder tend to suffer from canker sores, which are also referred to as aphthous ulcers. They are small lesions on the soft tissues inside your mouth and on your gums. These aren’t contagious and do not spread, unlike cold sores, but they are painful and they make eating and chewing painful.
Canker sores are a sign that the body is trying to heal and remove toxic matter. They are also due to the low absorption of vitamins and minerals and chronic diarrhea caused by Crohn’s and are often also the result of the primary inflammation that is caused by the disease. They usually last for two weeks but in the case of Crohn’s it may take longer.
Including sufficient vitamins and minerals in your Crohn’s disease diet will help you deal with this symptom. It is also important to use brushes with soft bristles to brush your teeth, avoid eating citrus or acidic food that will irritate your mouth.
Joints:
Because Crohn’s disease affects the rate at which nutrients are absorbed in the digestive tract, there are several extra intestinal symptoms of the disease. One of the most common symptoms is Arthritis or joint pain and inflammation. More than 30% of the people who suffer from Crohn’s disease tend to develop Arthritis due to this condition.
Another common effect of having Crohn’s disease is Sacroiliitis, which is characterized by lower back pain and stiffness. It is important to note that this is one of the first extra intestinal symptoms to appear and you may experience this pain for years before you are diagnosed with the disease.
Gall Bladder:
Crohn’s disease does not only affect the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract, but it also affects the absorption of other important secretes such as bile salts. Bile salts reduce the amount of cholesterol in your bile. Due to the low amount of salts, the excess cholesterol is converted to hard stone-like formations that block the neck of the gallbladder. This tends to cause severe pain and is one of the most common effects observed.
Blood Vessels:
One of the major effects of Crohn’s disease is the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. While the correlation between the disease and blood clots in the blood vessels has not been completely understood, studies suggest that the occurrence of a digestive tract disorder increases the risk of clotting by three or four-folds.
While any digestive tract disorder causes a great amount of pain and discomfort to those that are suffering from it. The effects of these diseases tend to surpass the gastrointestinal tract and affect other parts of your body as well. The affected organs may include the liver, gallbladder, blood vessels, eyes, and joints among many others. The low absorption of nutrients may also cause deficiencies of different kinds such as calcium deficiency, iron deficiency, etc. Consult High Carb Health today to help prevent the effects of Crohn’s disease and to find the right plant-based Crohn’s disease diet to ensure you do not continue to suffer from flares.
Check this video about, 5 Best Tips for Healing Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s Disease | Heal Ulcerative Colitis Naturally
