Crohn's isn't curable, but with a comprehensive plan developed specifically for each individual Crohn's patient, the disease can be controlled and managed so that it doesn't reign supreme over one's social life. Treatment plans include medications, diet and nutritional changes, and in some scenarios, surgical procedures to address damage in certain areas of an individual's gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
As the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) shows on their website, there are many different medications used to treat Crohn's disease. The type of medications used usually depends on the severity of the disease. As you'll note in the pyramid above, mild symptoms are usually treated with antibiotics (i.e. metronidazole, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin) and/or aminosalicylates (i.e. sulfasalazine, mesalamine, olsalazine) to decrease inflammation. Antibiotics may also be used if there is an infection present in the GI tract. For moderate - severe disease, corticosteroids (i.e. Prednisone) may be added. They work through inhibiting the immune system indirectly. Because of their short- and long-term side effects, they're generally reserved for when lower tier medications have failed. The last line of defense involves immunomodulators, which directly suppresses the body's immune system response in order to limit inflammation. A fairly new class of medications, called biologic therapies, has been recently introduced to the market for Crohn's disease. These medications can be prescribed to the patient that hasn't responded well to conventional therapy. Biologic therapies are antibodies (agents of your immune system that fight a specific protein or type of cell) grown in the laboratory to stop inflammation-causing proteins from continuing their work.
Diet/Nutrition
Some people who experience flare-ups adopt a soft, bland food diet and avoid certain spicy or high-fiber foods. If an individual is lactose intolerant, they should restrict intake of dairy. See the video below for information about dietary management and Crohn's disease.
As discussed in previous posts, as many as 2/3 - 3/4 of people with Crohn's will need some type of surgery during the course of their lifelong disease. This is generally reserved for chronic damage to certain parts of one's GI tract. Surgically removing portions of the GI tract allow an individual to keep much of the rest and return to the best possible situation there is. This usually happens as medications become less effective in treating the inflammation that goes along with Crohn's. It's not a end-all, be-all, however, as the CCFA points out that around "30% of patients who have surgery for Crohn’s disease experience recurrence of their symptoms within three years and up to 60% will have recurrence within ten years" (CCFA.org).
References:
Crohn's Treatment Options (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://www.ccfa.org/
