Treating Crohn’s Disease
The following treatment options can help control or prevent the severity of Crohn’s disease symptoms.
Medicines for Treating Crohn’s Disease
Many types of medicines are available to treat Crohn's disease, such as:
- aminosalicylate medicines
- antibiotics/probiotics
- corticosteroids
- immunomodulators
- TNF-inhibitors
- other biologic treatments
Dietary Changes
Your doctor may recommend that you avoid foods that provoke symptoms.
These foods are different for each person, but may include:
- dairy foods (due to lactose intolerance)
- highly seasoned foods
- high-fiber foods
Surgery
Very severe Crohn's disease may not improve with medicines and can cause complications, such as:
- a stricture
- an obstruction
- fistulas, which are abnormal connections between the intestine and other organs or tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin
In these cases, surgery may be an option. Your surgeon will remove the diseased section of your intestine and join the two remaining healthier ends together.
Leading-edge Therapy
Groundbreaking research from the UPMC Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center has found that treating people with medicine following bowel resection can keep Crohn’s disease from reoccurring.
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