Is chronic disease or illness starting to change how you live your life? While some effects may be unavoidable, in most cases there are things you can do to proactively reduce the negative impact of chronic disease or your day-to-day existence.
At Indus Healthcare in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California, Dr. Amit Reenu Paliwal provides comprehensive chronic care management as well as lifestyle guidance to help you live healthily and happily, even with a chronic condition.
Understanding chronic disease
A chronic condition is typically described as an illness with ongoing effects that’s lasted longer than 12 months. An estimated 60% of adults in the US have at least one chronic condition, and 40% of the population suffers from two or more chronic conditions.
Depending on who’s doing the defining, anywhere from seven to a couple of dozen conditions can be considered chronic. According to the CDC, these illnesses qualify as chronic:
- All types of cancer
- All types of diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- Lung disease
- Stroke (referring to after-effects)
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, quite a few more conditions can be considered chronic, among them autoimmune diseases and mental health conditions. Basically, if your condition is an ongoing issue, includes requiring constant medical care, produces symptoms harmful to your health that require medications, and causes restrictions to what you can and can’t do, it’s chronic.
Lifestyle changes you can make
Dr. Paliwal makes sure your chronic disease is controlled medically, and also discusses with you any lifestyle changes you may be able to make to better cope with your chronic illness. These changes can include:
1. Creating a daily routine
A daily routine can help you create positive daily habits, like getting some exercise and taking your medications at the same time and on schedule.
2. Getting quality sleep
It’s critical to get not just enough sleep if you have a chronic illness, but also to get good sleep. Make sure you have a quality mattress, and talk to your doctor if you have trouble sleeping.
3. Eating as healthy a diet as possible
Good nutrition can be pivotal to managing chronic illness. This can mean cutting down on cholesterol, reducing carbs, adding colorful veggies, or taking certain supplements to increase vitamin or mineral intake.
4. Using stress management strategies
Being chronically ill can cause a lot of stress, which can, in turn, make you feel worse. Find a stress management strategy that works for you, whether that’s yoga, meditation, or self-care such as a warm bath or curling up with a good book.
5. Being aware of your mental health
Chronic illness can cause or contribute to anxiety and depression. Seek help if you feel that you’re struggling with mental health.
If you’d like to talk to Dr. Paliwal about managing your chronic illness, call the location closest to you, or schedule an appointment online today.
