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Most people who have Crohn’s disease know what it’s like to be stuck at home during a flare. It’s difficult if not impossible to socialize with your family and friends when you’re experiencing nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. And those symptoms, coupled with the loneliness or isolation you might feel, can take an emotional toll on you.
Quality of Life Research found that when a young person’s inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is active, they’re more likely to feel embarrassed about their condition and insecure about their friendships. The researchers also found anxiety and loneliness to be common among participants, who ranged in age from 14 to 25.
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Nearly 3 million people in the United States have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), but just as each person is unique, so is their gut health.
A glass of wine may trigger a flare in one person but never bother another. Some people with Crohn’s may be particularly troubled by stomach cramps and nausea, while others struggle more with constipation and fatigue.
Similarly, what works for one person may or may not work for another. Here, real people with Crohn’s speak up with advice that helps them manage the disease.