Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), characterized by long-term, repetitive episodes of inflammation in the intestinal tissue caused by an abnormal immune response.
UC can cause complications and extra-intestinal manifestations, such as anemia, joint pain, and various nutritional deficiencies. A significant number of UC patients also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. A comprehensive treatment therefore needs to include not only medication but a range of holistic tools and lifestyle changes to address the impact of systemic inflammation on the entire body.
Creating a regular self-care routine is a great way to start implementing day-to-day strategies to support your entire system on your healing journey. This could include a bedtime ritual to improve your sleep quality, stress relief tools, or reminders to take your medication for more consistently.
The important thing is that your routine can be easily integrated into your life and that it works for you and your condition, not the other way around.
Self-Care Tips for Ulcerative Colitis
A great way to start creating your self-care routine is to start with a bit of research on your condition, the underlying mechanisms behind your inflammation, and emerging research on new treatments. Not only will this help you better understand your day-to-day needs when caring for your body, but will give you more confidence when making treatment decisions.
According to Prof. Shomron Ben-Horin, Chief of Gastroenterology at Sheba Hospital, “Any chronic condition, and in essence, life itself, needs to be comprehended as best one can. Patients who understand their disease and more about the mechanisms are better able to control and navigate the condition, achieving a better sense of control of disease – even in terms of inflammation and better quality of life.”
It’s not just about the sense of control, though. According to Prof. Ben-Horin, the decisions made by patients educated in their condition tend to be wiser, from their treatment decisions to how they navigate food, stress, and lifestyle day-to-day.
1. Diet: Self-Care for the Gut
While diet is an important factor when treating UC, it’s important to remember that the condition is not fixed. Rather, there will be times when your diet may need more restriction and times when you can be more flexible, depending on your current degree of inflammation.
This flexibility is paramount to achieving balance and quality of life, according to Nir Salomon, Integrative Gastroenterology expert. “Diet is important, but you need to find the balance and not get too clinical about it. You don’t want your entire life to revolve around every bite you take, getting stressed over the restriction – especially in times of remission.”
According to Salomon, dietary requirements are ever-changing, so it’s wise to be in touch with your body, in regular contact with your physician and nutritionist, and not get too fixed. “There’s still no universal answer for all patients – there will be adjustments, tailoring, trial and error to see what works for you particularly. It’s about finding balance and something flexible enough that it works for you, not the other way around.”
Starting a food journal can help get you more in tune with your body and how you react to certain foods. It’s also vital for UC patients to address nutritional deficiencies, so booking regular appointments with your dietician is highly recommended.
2. Get Active
Moderate exercise is important for UC patients, as movement and better circulation help lower stress and reduce inflammation, meaning fewer flare-ups.
Low-impact exercise is highly recommended for UC patients. This could include yoga, tai-chi, swimming laps, or taking a brisk walk. Before venturing out, here are a few tips to reduce the chance of irritating your condition:
- Find an activity you enjoy. This will make it easier (if not actually fun) to integrate the activity into your daily routine.
- Check in with your energy levels. If it’s a low-energy day, keep it to a few gentle stretches. You don’t want to push your body beyond its limits. During a flare-up, let yourself rest.
- Stay hydrated with water or electrolyte-infused water (avoid surgery sports drinks as sugar can be a trigger).
- After working out, make sure you stretch your muscles while they’re still warm to reduce aches and pains the next morning.
- Take days off when you’re in pain, experiencing fatigue, or having a flare-up.
3. Stress Relief
Stress relief is one of the most important self-care activities you can incorporate into your self-care routine. This is because mental health disturbances, like depression, stress, and anxiety, not only exasperate flares, but also impact treatment adherence, reduce quality of life, and increase both the rate of relapse and the risk for surgery in UC.
It may take some trial and error to find tools that work for you consistently. Here are a few tips to start with.
- Try Yin Yoga, which is slower-paced and incorporates stretching, breathwork, and holding postures for longer periods. This helps manage stress, pain, and even inflammation.
- Meditating for a short time each day has been found to improve both stress levels and microbial health.
- Indulge in calming activities that help you relax or express yourself, like reading, writing, listening to your favorite music, gardening, cooking, painting, or playing an instrument.
- Build your support team. This could include a local or online support group, a professional mental health practitioner, or trusted friends and family.
- Create a bedtime routine to improve sleep quality and overall mood. Calming sleepy-time teas with chamomile, low lighting, a cool temperature, and a hot bath can help prep the body for a good night’s sleep.
4. Self-Care during Flare-Ups
During flares, you may need to make some adjustments to support your body and well-being.
- If your symptoms are causing you to eat less than usual, it’s extra important to stay hydrated. Take sips of water throughout the day, and drink plenty of fluids like broth, fruit-infused water, and ice pops.
- When suffering a flare, make sure you’re getting plenty of rest and good quality sleep as this is the time your body needs the most resources to heal.
- When experiencing cramps or abdominal pain, apply a heat pack to your abdomen to relax the muscle. You can also explore herbal remedies for cramps and nausea, such as peppermint oil or tea.
- If you’re experiencing constant flares unrelated to any obvious trigger, you may want to speak to your doctor regarding changes or adjustments to your treatment plan.
- If you suffer a sudden flare or strange symptoms after traveling, eating out, or being exposed to someone ill, it’s always important to rule out infection, which can often be overlooked.
5. Meet your medical needs
When managing UC, medication, medical appointments, and any alternative treatments will be an important part of your daily self-care routine.
- Set reminders on your phone to take your medication or try a medication reminder app
- Try a pill organizer to simplify the process and help keep track
- Alert your doctor if you’re suffering side effects of medication
- Seek medical advice for any extra-intestinal manifestations – these may be manageable through natural or alternative treatments
- Speaking of, check with your doctor before taking any alternative treatments or over-the-counter medication
- Explore alternatives like acupuncture, herbal remedies, or mindfulness techniques to further support your body when healing
6. Let it go
There will be times when your life feels limited by your condition. However, during times of remission, it’s important to let yourself detach sometimes and live your life.
“Go out, have fun, book trips, do what makes you happy,” says Nir Salomon. “You don’t have to spend large amounts of time and energy getting into all the details, obsessing over food and test results. Find a balance between empowering yourself through knowledge, and knowing when to let go. IBD does not have to define your entire life. Understand it, control it, let it go. IBD is a condition, not a life sentence.”
Summer Pitocchelli-Schwartzman
