Some diseases have agonizing pain like toothache, bursting of an appendix, or a broken bone. But a patient suffering from these diseases won’t get frightened because they have at least a light at the end of the tunnel. All of these diseases aren’t lifetime and are curable.
Once you get healed of these, you are back to normal again like nothing happened. But some diseases are more frightening once you get diagnosed with them.
The reason is that these are lifetime and don’t have any cure. Such conditions or illnesses are known as chronic illnesses. Some chronic illnesses are hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma, heart arthritis, etc.
All chronic illnesses have some disease-specific symptoms, but they have some common symptoms. Most people who suffer from chronic illness experience pain, fatigue, body aches, disturbed sleep, anxiety, and irritability. It seems difficult to live with a chronic illness with all these problems, but it’s not impossible.
You have to add a new routine like adding regular medications to your normal routine and some preventive measures to cope with it. Once you have made it into your routine, it will become a new normal for you, and you will start living with this chronic illness much easier.
Here are some suggestions to help you deal with a chronic illness if you have one:
- Learn about your disease
When you are diagnosed with a chronic ailment, the first thing to do is learn about your condition. For instance, if you have cancer like mesothelioma, gather information on it. The first question to look for should be what is mesothelioma? What organs does it affect the most, and how does it affects those organs? The more you know about your disease, the better you can manage it.
Having uncertainties about anything leave you with many unanswered questions and fears. So, it is important to know about your disease as much as you can. Try to ask questions to your doctor or an experienced person, or some trusted resources.
- Take care of yourself
You should know that your body is going through many changes due to chronic disease, so take care of yourself to keep yourself in good condition. For example, if you are hypertensive, check your blood pressure regularly.
Consequently, if you are a diabetic patient, check your sugar level frequently. It will help you keep track of the changes your body is going through, and you will easily report them to your physician, and they will prescribe you the medication to suppress any damage to your body.
- Stay Physically Active
Regular physical activity and exercise keep you in good health and mood. It makes you feel strong, improves your ability to keep up with daily activities, and increases the chances of survival with a chronic illness.
With some chronic diseases like diabetes, heart problems, or arthritis, it becomes difficult to do much physical activity. Start slowly, don’t do heavier exercises, walk for a few minutes, or do anything that you can do to remain physically fit.
Don’t stay in bed all the time, cutting down all your physical activities. Consult your doctor about the activities you can do with your prevalent health condition.
- Maintain a Healthy diet
Eating healthy and nutritious food is important for everyone, whether healthy or sick. But if you are suffering from an illness, especially a chronic illness, you have to take extra care of your diet to lead a longer and healthier life.
A balanced and healthy diet manages and reverses some chronic conditions. Poor nutrition affects your physical as well as your mental well-being. It impairs the whole body’s functioning, from general walking to thinking. So, it’s better to consult your doctor, make a diet chart and follow it.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
When you are suffering from a chronic illness, it demands you to make some lifestyle changes to cope with the disease. Besides regular physical activity and a healthy diet, you have to avoid smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.
Smoking and alcohol are directly or indirectly related to many chronic conditions like heart problems, asthma, diabetes, etc. They are not only a risk factor for these but also aggravate the symptoms. Alcohol and tobacco use weaken your immune system and act as negative coping mechanisms for your body to fight the disease.
- Manage your medications
When you are recovering from a chronic illness, you take some medications to control the symptoms and manage the disease. Medications need to be taken on time and in the proper dosage to delay the disease progression.
Have a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist about your medicines. Knowing your medications is as important as knowing about your disease. To properly set some alarms to take your medicines, make a chart of their dosage and paste it into your room or ask someone to remind you of taking medicines.
- Seek help to avoid depression
Having diagnosed with chronic illness leaves you with many questions, overthinking, stress, and anxiety. All of these are very natural as you become uncertain about your future. Long-term stress, anxiety, and overthinking lead to frustration and depression. They make it further difficult to manage and treat the disease.
Avoid depression and stress by discussing and seeking out help from anyone you feel comfortable with.
You can also manage stress and avoid depression by doing yoga, meditation, reading a book, or anything that soothes and relaxes you. Don’t let stress and depression overcome you and make you succumb to the disease.
Conclusion
Having a disease that doesn’t have any cure feels terrifying, and you start losing hope. But just a bit of care and some lifestyle changes can help you live a longer and healthier life. Just learn about your disease and manage your medication properly. Do regular exercise, and avoid consuming alcohol. In addition, maintain a social life. It will help you avoid depression which is the key to a perfect and healthy life.