Crohn’s disease causes unpredictable flare-ups that are often challenging to handle. Sudden symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain can disrupt your daily life and can cause problems like dehydration.

Verywell / Laura Porter

Handling a Flare-Up

When Crohn’s is managed, the inflammation subsides, your symptoms disappear, and the disease goes into remission. Then, the inflammation returns and you have a symptom flare-up.

Here are five ways to relieve a flare as quickly as possible:

1. Call Your Healthcare Provider

Your healthcare provider will immediately assess if they should change your medication or dose. Your flare-up may occur if you stop responding to the medications you currently take. Your provider can change your prescription and restore intestinal health.

You may also need temporary corticosteroid to reduce the inflammation. Your provider can also determine if an infection or medication may have caused the flare and recommend treatment to counteract the problem.

You should also ask your healthcare provider aboutanti-diarrheal medication, the best way to relieve pain, and self-care tips for anal soreness and painful bowel movements.

For example, your provider may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) because the latter can irritate your GI system.

2. Change Your Diet

In addition to eliminating any foods you know trigger flare-ups, try the following:

If these general guidelines don’t help, you may want to implement a special diet with more specific limitations, such as:

3. Stay Hydrated

Having Crohn’s disease can increase your risk of becoming dehydrated.Additionally, diarrhea quickly leads to dehydration. While water is one of the best ways to stay hydrated, you may need to restore electrolytes if you’re losing excessive fluids due to diarrhea. Beverages like milk, coconut water, over-the-counter oral rehydration solutions, and Pedialyte restore lost nutrients.

4. Lower Your Stress

Stress often triggers a Crohn’s flare-up because it affects your body’s ability to fight inflammation.Lowering stress can also help ease flares. Techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing ease stress for many people. Talk therapy helps if your stress is especially high due to other life challenges.

5. Stay Active

You may not feel like staying active, but whenever possible during a flare, get out and walk or engage in other gentle exercises. Studies show that exercise helps keep Crohn’s in remission.Exercise also reduces stress, strengthens your immune system, and improves your mood.

How Long Does a Flare-Up Last?There’s no way to predict how long your flare-up may last. It could improve in a few days or go on for months, depending on the severity of the disease and how it responds to treatment.

How Long Does a Flare-Up Last?

There’s no way to predict how long your flare-up may last. It could improve in a few days or go on for months, depending on the severity of the disease and how it responds to treatment.

Preventing Flare-Ups

The medical care and lifestyle recommendations for people with Crohn’s disease focus on keeping the disease in remission. You have a better chance of preventing flare-ups if you:

Track Symptoms

Monitoring your symptoms and tracking your disease can help you recognize the signs that a flare-up is beginning. Then, you can quickly take action that may limit the length of time and severity of the flare.

Flare-up symptoms will vary based on the severity of each Crohn’s case and the exact part of the digestive tract it affects, but commonsigns of a Crohn’s flare-upinclude:

Crohn’s symptoms can worsen as the disease progresses. But having a Crohn’s flare doesn’t automatically mean that your Crohn’s disease is getting worse. Your healthcare provider can sort through the potential concerns and provide treatment to restore remission.

Tracking Your Crohn’s SymptomsThe Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation provides a helpfulsymptom trackertool that makes it easy for patients to share details about their flares-up, such as how long they lasted and what the symptoms were. This gives your healthcare provider a clear picture of your Crohn’s flares between office visits.

Tracking Your Crohn’s Symptoms

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation provides a helpfulsymptom trackertool that makes it easy for patients to share details about their flares-up, such as how long they lasted and what the symptoms were. This gives your healthcare provider a clear picture of your Crohn’s flares between office visits.

Stick With Your Medication Plan

That means keeping regular appointments with your healthcare provider and diligently taking the medications that prevent inflammation.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe any of the following:

Take Medication as Prescribed

Identify Triggers

After you identify what triggers your flare-ups, you and your healthcare provider can develop a plan for limiting your exposure to them. Spicy foods, smoking, antibiotics, and stress are only a few examples of the possible triggers.

Make Dietary Adjustments

Dietary changes are essential during flare-ups. However, you may need to make some permanent changes to keep Crohn’s in remission. It’s crucial to avoid foods that trigger flares. You may also need to follow a special diet for the long run.

Your healthcare provider may recommend a registered dietician or nutritionist to develop a plan that works for you and ensures you get adequate nutrition.

Considering Surgery

Surgery is the last treatment choice after all other options fail to control the disease and prevent flare-ups. Nearly half of Crohn’s patients will need surgery within 10 years of their diagnosis.

Patients needing surgery usually have moderate to severe cases of Crohn’s involving complications like bowel obstruction, excessive bleeding, anabscess(pus-filled pocket), or an intestinal rupture (a hole that develops in the wall of the intestine).

Surgery provides significant symptom relief, but there’s no way to predict how long it will last. Unfortunately, surgery doesn’t cure Crohn’s disease because the inflammation can reappear.

Types ofCrohn’s surgeryinclude:

Summary

Although there is no guaranteed way to prevent flare-ups, medications, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle modifications may help keep them under control. In severe cases, surgery may be an option to consider.

14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Managing flares and IBD symptoms.Harvard Health Publishing.Living with Crohn’s disease: recognizing and managing flares.Owczarek, D.; Rodacki, T.; Domagala-Rodacka, R. et al.Diet and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol.2015; 22(3):895-905. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.895Haskey N, Gibson D.An examination of diet for the maintenance of remission of inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients.2017;9(3):250. doi:10.3390/nu9030259National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Dehydration.Abbott Nutrition.Pedialyte.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Stress and IBD: breaking the vicious cycle.Jones PD, Kappelman MD, Martin CF, Chen W, Sandler RS, Long MD.Exercise decreases risk of future active disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission.Inflammation Bowel Dis.2015;21(5): 1063-1071. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000000333National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of Crohn’s disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Crohn’s disease.Fumery M, Dulai PS, Meirick P, et al.Systematic review with meta-analysis: recurrence of Crohn’s disease after total colectomy with permanent ileostomy.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb;45(3):381-390. doi:10.1111/apt.13886.Celentano V, O’leary DP, Caiazzo A, et al.Longer small bowel segments are resected in emergency surgery for ileocaecal Crohn’s disease with a higher ileostomy and complication rate.Tech Coloproctol. 2019;23(11):1085-1091. doi:10.1007/s10151-019-02104-9Sevim Y, Akyol C, Aytac E, Baca B, Bulut O, Remzi FH.Laparoscopic surgery for complex and recurrent Crohn’s disease.World J Gastrointest Endosc. 2017;9(4):149-152. doi:10.4253/wjge.v9.i4.149

14 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Managing flares and IBD symptoms.Harvard Health Publishing.Living with Crohn’s disease: recognizing and managing flares.Owczarek, D.; Rodacki, T.; Domagala-Rodacka, R. et al.Diet and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol.2015; 22(3):895-905. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.895Haskey N, Gibson D.An examination of diet for the maintenance of remission of inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients.2017;9(3):250. doi:10.3390/nu9030259National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Dehydration.Abbott Nutrition.Pedialyte.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Stress and IBD: breaking the vicious cycle.Jones PD, Kappelman MD, Martin CF, Chen W, Sandler RS, Long MD.Exercise decreases risk of future active disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission.Inflammation Bowel Dis.2015;21(5): 1063-1071. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000000333National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of Crohn’s disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Crohn’s disease.Fumery M, Dulai PS, Meirick P, et al.Systematic review with meta-analysis: recurrence of Crohn’s disease after total colectomy with permanent ileostomy.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb;45(3):381-390. doi:10.1111/apt.13886.Celentano V, O’leary DP, Caiazzo A, et al.Longer small bowel segments are resected in emergency surgery for ileocaecal Crohn’s disease with a higher ileostomy and complication rate.Tech Coloproctol. 2019;23(11):1085-1091. doi:10.1007/s10151-019-02104-9Sevim Y, Akyol C, Aytac E, Baca B, Bulut O, Remzi FH.Laparoscopic surgery for complex and recurrent Crohn’s disease.World J Gastrointest Endosc. 2017;9(4):149-152. doi:10.4253/wjge.v9.i4.149

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Managing flares and IBD symptoms.Harvard Health Publishing.Living with Crohn’s disease: recognizing and managing flares.Owczarek, D.; Rodacki, T.; Domagala-Rodacka, R. et al.Diet and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol.2015; 22(3):895-905. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.895Haskey N, Gibson D.An examination of diet for the maintenance of remission of inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients.2017;9(3):250. doi:10.3390/nu9030259National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Dehydration.Abbott Nutrition.Pedialyte.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Stress and IBD: breaking the vicious cycle.Jones PD, Kappelman MD, Martin CF, Chen W, Sandler RS, Long MD.Exercise decreases risk of future active disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission.Inflammation Bowel Dis.2015;21(5): 1063-1071. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000000333National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of Crohn’s disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Crohn’s disease.Fumery M, Dulai PS, Meirick P, et al.Systematic review with meta-analysis: recurrence of Crohn’s disease after total colectomy with permanent ileostomy.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb;45(3):381-390. doi:10.1111/apt.13886.Celentano V, O’leary DP, Caiazzo A, et al.Longer small bowel segments are resected in emergency surgery for ileocaecal Crohn’s disease with a higher ileostomy and complication rate.Tech Coloproctol. 2019;23(11):1085-1091. doi:10.1007/s10151-019-02104-9Sevim Y, Akyol C, Aytac E, Baca B, Bulut O, Remzi FH.Laparoscopic surgery for complex and recurrent Crohn’s disease.World J Gastrointest Endosc. 2017;9(4):149-152. doi:10.4253/wjge.v9.i4.149

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Managing flares and IBD symptoms.

Harvard Health Publishing.Living with Crohn’s disease: recognizing and managing flares.

Owczarek, D.; Rodacki, T.; Domagala-Rodacka, R. et al.Diet and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol.2015; 22(3):895-905. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.895

Haskey N, Gibson D.An examination of diet for the maintenance of remission of inflammatory bowel disease.Nutrients.2017;9(3):250. doi:10.3390/nu9030259

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, and nutrition for Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Dehydration.

Abbott Nutrition.Pedialyte.

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Stress and IBD: breaking the vicious cycle.

Jones PD, Kappelman MD, Martin CF, Chen W, Sandler RS, Long MD.Exercise decreases risk of future active disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission.Inflammation Bowel Dis.2015;21(5): 1063-1071. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000000333

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of Crohn’s disease.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Crohn’s disease.

Fumery M, Dulai PS, Meirick P, et al.Systematic review with meta-analysis: recurrence of Crohn’s disease after total colectomy with permanent ileostomy.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb;45(3):381-390. doi:10.1111/apt.13886.

Celentano V, O’leary DP, Caiazzo A, et al.Longer small bowel segments are resected in emergency surgery for ileocaecal Crohn’s disease with a higher ileostomy and complication rate.Tech Coloproctol. 2019;23(11):1085-1091. doi:10.1007/s10151-019-02104-9

Sevim Y, Akyol C, Aytac E, Baca B, Bulut O, Remzi FH.Laparoscopic surgery for complex and recurrent Crohn’s disease.World J Gastrointest Endosc. 2017;9(4):149-152. doi:10.4253/wjge.v9.i4.149

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