Marie Brace
Chronic conditions usually last longer than three months. The most prevalent chronic conditions San Antonio include dementia, arthritis, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, stroke, and heart disease. When you have a chronic illness, you will have difficulty doing everyday activities such as dressing. Thus, you have a reduced quality of life. In such a situation, you must constantly benefit from medical care.
Even more important, understand the coping mechanisms that can help you manage your chronic condition and better your life’s quality. Subsequently, below are a few helpful strategies to adopt.
Learn more about your chronic condition
Knowing more about your chronic illness means understanding better what is happening to you at every stage of the disease. To get the loads of information you require, you must keep an open communication line with your chronic conditions specialist. Furthermore, you can perform extensive research online and get information from trusted medical sources.
Take responsibility for your condition
Many patients often prefer leaving their doctor in charge of their health. Ideally, that should not be the case. You have to help your doctor to help you.
For instance, understand how to monitor and test yourself if you have high blood pressure.
Because you monitor your condition at home, it does not become difficult to notice issues and seek an immediate solution before the situation worsens.
Make your condition a family affair
Since you have a chronic condition, you must change your lifestyle to profit from better management and boost your quality of life. And since your lifestyle changes may often be suitable for family members to reduce the risk of a chronic condition, they must also partner with you in living healthy.
Lifestyle changes may include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and eating healthy food. For example, eating healthy means reducing your salt intake significantly and consuming food with health and medical benefits such as green tea, ginseng, garlic, and ginger.
Have a helpful support system
You must also have a support system consisting of people with your condition for sharing experiences and emotional support. Look for nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting people with your particular chronic disease.
When you talk with patients with your illness, you will learn their coping strategies.
Apart from using support groups, you can also go for family, couple, or individual counseling. For instance, a support system consisting of family or friends can assist in taking care of your daily tasks, including shopping.
Take your medications as prescribed
Patients tend not to take medications as prescribed by the doctor. If you have difficulty remembering when to take your medicine, you can set the alarm or ask your friend or family member to remind you constantly. Moreover, you can place the drug in a location you will not forget.
Whenever you can distract yourself
Although not a reliable long-term strategy, distracting yourself from your condition can be a powerful coping mechanism. You can keep your mind away from your chronic illness by:
- Watching funny online videos
- Video gaming
- Looking at photos of your loved ones
- Listening to music
Contact South Texas Family Medicine and Urgent Care Center today to make an appointment and learn more about treating and managing chronic conditions.
