Crohn’s & Colitis

Naturopath Physicians & Doctors In Toronto, On

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause chronic inflammation in the intestines. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are two IBD disorders.

IBD can be caused by a variety of factors including genetics, an overactive immune system and environmental triggers such as smoking, stress, medication use and depression.

  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Conventional Medicine Approach
  • Naturopathic Medicine Approach

Crohn’s Disease causes pain and inflammation. It can affect any part of the digestive tract, from mouth to anus but most commonly affects the small intestine and upper large intestine. Symptoms can include the following:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Severe diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss
  • Malnutrition
  • Blood in stool
  • Fever
  • Iron deficiency/ anemia
  • Skin inflammation or rashes

Ulcerative Colitis causes swelling and sores (ulcers). It affects the large intestine (colon and rectum). Symptoms can include the following:

  • Diarrhea with blood
  • Abdominal pain and cramping
  • Rectal pain
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Urgency to defecate or inability to defecate despite urgency
  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Fever

Conventional treatment for IBD generally includes a mix of the following:

  • Medications
    • Anti-inflammatory medications
    • Antibiotics
    • Corticosteroids
    • Biologics
    • Immunomodulators
  • Surgery
    • Remove the diseased bowel segment
    • Full Colectomy
    • Proctocolectomy
    • Ileal pouch with ileostomy bag

These medications can be helpful but some raise the odds of getting more serious infections and others can cause serious side effects such as widespread fluid retention, agitation and insomnia. 

Following a comprehensive assessment by your Naturopath, treatment for addressing Crohn’s & Colitis includes a mix of dietary changes, nutritional medicine and herbal medicine therapies.

Naturopathic treatment for IBD works in conjunction with conventional therapies to heal the intestinal mucosa and achieve remission. In addition, naturopathic therapies focus on minimizing symptoms during flare ups and preventing common nutrient deficiencies associated with IBD.

Gut Repair is What We do.

Book your appointment with Dr. Andresen and discover how naturopathic medicine improves inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and Colitis without causing adverse drug reactions.

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