How to treat inflammatory bowel disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease is a very common gastrointestinal disease. Inflammatory bowel disease causes diarrhea, causing inflammation and infiltrating the layers of the intestinal wall. In the long run, the disease can cause many dangerous complications even lead to death. The following are intestinal infection treatments and home remedies for enteritis.

Nature of Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Crohn's disease is an acute or chronic (slow-growing, long-term) inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive tract from the mouth to the anus can be affected by Crohn's disease, but it most commonly occurs in the last part of the small intestine, the first part of the large intestine (the cecum), and the area around the anus. Inflammation causes uncomfortable and annoying symptoms and can cause serious damage to the digestive tract.
Inflammatory bowel disease occurs intermittently. This means that the inflammation occurs without warning and then disappears over time. It is impossible to predict when a flare-up, for how long, and when it will flare up again.
The most common symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease are those related to inflammatory lesions in the digestive tract, including:
Diarrhea: Wax and pale stools, stools that may contain mucus, blood or pus Abdominal pain: Cramping or dull; pain in the lower right part of the abdomen or around the navel; often temporarily relieved by defecation Bloating after eating: Less common, more common in cases of intestinal obstruction. Constipation: common in cases of bowel obstruction Pain or bleeding during bowel movements Urinary tract or vaginal infections: due to a fistula from the intestinal tract Clinical symptoms are common but not all cases All have these symptoms:
Low-grade fever Weight loss Fatigue As the disease progresses symptoms can become more severe, such as:
Perianal fistula, discharge near your anus and cause pain Ulcers can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus Inflammation of the skin and joints Difficulty breathing or reduced mobility due to anemia Early detection and diagnosis can help you avoid complications. complications and allows you to start treatment early.

The goal of treating IBD is to reduce the underlying inflammation, then relieve symptoms, prevent complications, and maintain good nutrition.
2.1. Drugs used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Drugs used to reduce inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease include anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, other immunosuppressants, biologics, and antibiotics. The most widely used drugs in inflammatory bowel disease are:
Steroids : This drug reduces inflammation of the whole body, but has many side effects including puffy face, excessive facial hair, sweating nighttime, insomnia and hyperactivity. More serious side effects include high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, bone fractures, cataracts, glaucoma, and an increased chance of infection. Aminosalicylates: These drugs suppress inflammation in the intestines and joints. Examples include mesalazine, olsalazine, sulfasalazine, and balsalazide. Immunosuppressants: These suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation levels. They are often used in people who relapse when they stop using steroids. Antibiotics: This drug kills bacteria in the irritated areas of the intestine. They may also be indicated when abscesses and fistulas are present. Examples include metronidazole and ciprofloxacin. Biologics: These are monoclonal antibodies that target the immune system — specifically, tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These drugs block the effects of TNF and for this reason are also called anti-TNF drugs. TNF is a substance made by cells of the immune system that causes inflammation. TNF inhibitors have potentially very serious side effects. They are often prescribed for moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease that has not responded to other therapies. Infliximab (Remicade) and adalimumab (Humira) are two TNF inhibitors. Anti-diarrheal medications: For example, loperamide may be helpful for diarrhea without infection. Antidiarrheals work by slowing contractions (muscle movements) in the intestines, so food moves more slowly. Laxatives like Movicol can help relieve constipation by increasing the amount of water in the large intestine and making stools softer and easier to pass. Pain relievers (eg, paracetamol) may be used to control pain. Avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as these can worsen inflammatory bowel disease. Antispasmodics can relieve painful cramps and spasms by relaxing the muscles. They are most commonly recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms. However, caution must be exercised if there is a risk of obstacles forming.

2.2. When do I need surgery? If these drugs are not successful in stopping the inflammation, the alternative is surgery to control the complications of inflammatory bowel disease.
For symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps and bloating, medication is usually enough. Antidiarrheal medications usually relieve mild to moderate symptoms.
Most complications will resolve once the inflammation is treated. However, some require additional treatment. For example, a fistula is usually treated with antibiotics to clear the infection. Your doctor may prescribe other medications to help heal the fistula, but these only work in about 30% to 40% of cases.
During this treatment, the patient may have to stop eating and intravenous nutritional fluids for several days. A nasogastric tube (NG) placed in the stomach through the nose removes some of the fluid and gas that has built up there. The combination of these methods, known as bowel rest, allows the digestive tract to temporarily shut down, helping to promote the healing process.
Fistulas that pass through a large amount of bowel (thus causing very severe symptoms) or that do not improve with medical treatment may need surgical repair.
Up to 8 out of 10 people with inflammatory bowel disease will still need surgery at some point in their lives as a way to better control their symptoms or if complications (eg, blockage, fistula).
The two most commonly indicated surgeries are:
Plasticoplasty (tightening surgery): In this procedure, the surgeon widens the narrowed portion of the intestine. Resection: This involves removing portions of the bowel that are severely inflamed that may have a blockage or fistula. The unaffected ends are then joined together.

If you have inflammatory bowel disease in your colon (large intestine), it may be necessary to remove the entire colon and perhaps the rectum. The following surgeries may be indicated:
Prostatectomy and ileostomy: The entire colon and rectum are removed and the end of the small intestine is brought out through an opening in the abdominal wall. A stomata is inserted into the opening to collect waste that previously entered the colon. Bags can be emptied or changed bags as needed. Anorectal anastomosis: The entire colon is removed but not the rectum. Thus, the ileum (the last part of the small intestine) is connected to the upper part of the rectum. This is only possible if the rectum is not affected. Partial resection and colectomy: If only part of the colon is affected, your surgeon may remove only the damaged part and reattach the healthy parts of the intestine or create an opening. This is usually done on the lower left side of the abdomen and is called a colectomy. Temporary stoma (ileostomy or colostomy): The stoma can be temporary and is used to move waste produced from digestion out of the inflamed intestine. This allows the intestines time to heal after which the procedure is reversed. 2.3. Inflammatory bowel disease at home Vitamin D supplements Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with inflammatory bowel disease. One study found that, after three months of taking 2000 IU of vitamin D daily, patients' muscle strength was significantly higher. Study participants also reported less fatigue overall, physically and mentally.
The right diet There is no clear evidence that any food directly causes or improves inflammatory bowel disease, but many people with IBD say that certain foods seem to trigger their symptoms.
To ensure that your diet remains healthy and balanced, it is important that you get advice from your doctor or dietitian before making any major changes. It can also be helpful to keep a food diary to keep track of what you've eaten and if your symptoms have changed.

Follow a low-FODMAP diet Low-FODMAP (a low-fermentable carbohydrate diet) was primarily used to address symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in study participants. However, some studies have suggested that some people with inactive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who have IBS-like symptoms, may benefit from following a low-FODMAP diet.
Exercise When managing inflammatory bowel disease, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if the disease is in remission for a long time. You can do this by exercising regularly and following a healthy diet. Exercise is also helpful for controlling your stress levels.

Reference source: webmd.com