Health

The Risks and Benefits of Using Prednisone to Treat Chron’s Disease

Chron’s disease is a form of immune deficiency that can cause of variety of symptoms, most of them affecting the gastrointestinal system of the body. This disorder can affect almost anyone, but it is more common in women and in people who have a family history of the problem. The symptoms can vary widely and often include problems such as vomiting, sudden diarrhea, stomach cramps, and extreme tiredness. Several different prescription drugs, such as Prednisone, have been used to treat Chron’s disease. If you are suffering from this problem or have been experiencing any symptoms, then understanding the disorder and how these prescriptions may help is the first step toward living a healthier life.

While there is no real way to prevent getting Chron’s disease, understanding your genetics, who in your family has had the disorder in the past, and which factors increase your risk is important to how often your suffer from the symptoms. For example, a diet that is rich in fatty or fried foods and smoking make it twice as likely that your symptoms will increase. Some doctors may recommend a change in diet, along with Prednisone, in order to lessen the severity of your stomach problems. However, neither the diet change nor the medication on its own will be effective. Only a balance between the two and being aware of other environmental factors is the only way to manage the disorder.

Prednisone has been proven to treat the inflammation that causes the stomach and abdominal pain that sometimes can occur with Chron’s disease. While it cannot prevent the flare-ups that occur, it can treat the resulting inflammation of the intestine and ease the pain. It is a corticosteroid drug that is also used to treat other deficiency diseases that cause inflammation, but before you decide whether or not it right for you, talking with your doctor is the best option. By giving your doctor your complete family medical history, he or she can decide whether or not prescribing Prednisone will help your symptoms or is too great a risk, depending on your individual family and personal factors. In patients that are already on other medications or have other immune deficiency problems, the medication can actually worsen these or cause other serious side effects. Some of these have included glaucoma, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. If you are a high-risk Chron’s disease patient, your doctor may recommend other options for treatment, such as a restricted diet that is rich in baked foods and antioxidants.

Prednisone has been proven effective in treating the pain and inflammation that is associated with the flare-ups and pain of Chron’s disease, and along with a healthy and restricted diet, may greatly reduce the severity and frequency of the symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with this disorder, you should discuss your family history and any other problems you have at length with your doctor so he or she can decide whether taking this drug would be to your benefit.