10 Things That Put People at Risk for Crohn's Disease
1. Smoking
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor and can increase your likelihood of being sideswiped with this disease. As if there weren’t enough negative consequences already from smoking, you are twice as likely to need more surgery and medicines if you smoke, according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Some former smokers have tried nicotine patches in an effort to allay symptoms of Crohn’s, but some to no avail. It is suspected that there is another chemical in cigarettes that causes the body to break down and be unable to process food without inflammation.
At times people who had stopped smoking will start again just to get relief from symptoms. This works temporarily, but only perpetuates the destruction of the immune system.
