Stress doesn't cause Crohn’s disease, but situations that put your emotions on high can potentially worsen Crohn’s symptoms or cause flares. Plus, it’s twofold: While stress may aggravate your Crohn’s, the unpredictable nature of the disease can be stressful itself.

If you need to reduce your overall stress level, you may want to consider practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation — not only when you feel stressed out, but on a daily basis. Other Crohn’s stress management techniques include light exercise such as walking and practicing yoga or tai chi.

Most importantly, it helps to have a few strategies for managing stress as part of your Crohn’s disease care plan. By knowing how to avoid stressful, potentially embarrassing situations, you can lessen the distress and keep your mind at ease. Try these tips:

Identify your food triggers so you can avoid them. There's not one specific Crohn’s diet for everyone, says Gilbert Simoni, MD, a gastroenterologist at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif. But you can figure out your own personalized Crohn’s diet — that is, the foods you need to avoid because they trigger your symptoms. Some people find that greasy or fried foods trigger flares. For others, it's caffeine or carbonated beverages that cause excessive gas. Once you control your triggers, you can also stop stressing over every bite or sip you take.