Basic Strategies for Managing Chronic Diseases

Chronic disease is an umbrella medical term that covers a vast array of long-term, activity-limiting health conditions, which typically can’t be cured — but ongoing care can control it. Common chronic illnesses in the United States include:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Dementia
• Depression

Dr. Garrigos and our team at Socrates A. Garrigos, MD, PA, know that as challenging as it is to have a chronic illness, it’s possible to control your condition and safeguard your lifelong well-being with the correct information, strategies, and support.  

A few basic facts about chronic illness

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of illness and disability in the US, as well as the top cause of mortality: 70% of American deaths are attributed to chronic disease. It’s also the main driver of the nation’s $4.5 trillion annual health care expenditure. 

While uncontrollable factors like genetics (family history), gender, and age can elevate your chronic disease risk, most cases of chronic illness develop due to four controllable factors:

• Smoking 
• Poor nutrition 
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use  

This fact means that most cases of chronic illness are preventable. A notable exception to this general rule is negative social health determinants or living situations that limit access to fresh foods, outdoor spaces to be active, or medical care.   

Strategies for managing chronic disease

Three in five American adults (60%) have been diagnosed with at least one chronic disease, and many are living with multiple long-term illnesses. Luckily, basic strategies for managing chronic conditions are applicable and beneficial across the spectrum of disease. 

The main components of chronic disease management fall into three broad categories:

Your regular medical care plan

When you’re diagnosed with a chronic illness, you start an individualized treatment plan to get the condition under control and protect your long-term health. Sticking to your plan is the foundation of effective chronic disease management.  

Your treatment plan provides detailed guidance on daily self-care and guidelines on how often you should have checkups to keep your health on track. Careful medication management helps ensure safe and effective medication use, especially if taking multiple medicines to control more than one condition.   

Consistent preventive care is another essential part of regular medical care when living with a chronic disease. Vaccines and health screenings protect against additional health risks or help catch complications early, allowing timely intervention.    

Education and self-management 

Chronic diseases can affect your body in many ways, and learning as much as possible about the one(s) you’re living with can empower you to make informed decisions about your health and solve problems with confidence. 

Self-management education (SME) programs help you learn the skills you need to manage your specific condition holistically, by teaching you how your disease can affect you and how your lifestyle habits can affect your disease. 

For example, a diabetes SME program aims to help you control your blood sugar levels, prevent complications, and improve your health by teaching you how various aspects of your lifestyle — from eating and physical activity to sleeping and stress management — can affect the disease process, for better or worse.   

Targeted lifestyle modifications 

With chronic illness, “lifestyle factors” are a two-sided coin: Unhealthy lifestyle habits are significant contributors to the development of chronic disease; healthy lifestyle changes can help you control chronic disease. 

The correct lifestyle changes can go a long way in helping you ease symptoms, slow disease progression, avoid complications and comorbidities, and protect your long-term health. No matter what your condition, you can benefit from:

• Nutritious eating 
• Daily exercise
• Weight control
• Healthy sleeping
• Stress management
• Smoking cessation
• Alcohol restriction

If this “laundry list” of essential lifestyle modifications seems daunting, remember that Dr. Garrigos and our team are here to guide and support you every step of the way — we can take the guesswork out of healthy eating, set activity goals that match your abilities, and help you quit smoking.  

Are you looking for a partner in long-term health? 

If you recently learned you have a chronic illness, we encourage you to view your diagnosis as a wake-up call to better health — and we’re here to help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at Socrates A. Garrigos, MD, PA, in McAllen, Texas, today.