Chronic illnesses lay a considerable burden on patients as well as healthcare systems. They are considered long-term diseases that entail proper adjustment to the demands of the disease and the medical care needed for treating the condition. You may also experience undue stress due to a chronic illness because it might alter your lifestyle, your self-perception and the way you interact with others.
Fortunately, individuals who discover how to manage the symptoms of their chronic diseases can upgrade their quality of life and bring down their health care costs.
An Overview of Chronic Diseases
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases are prolonged illnesses that do not settle themselves and seldom get cured completely. The CDC reports that in the U.S.:
- One in two adults is afflicted with a chronic disease.
- One in four adults suffers from multiple chronic diseases.
- Chronic illness impacts one in four children and adolescents.
- Chronic illnesses are the frequent causes of death, disability, and health care expenses.
- Chronic Illnesses that cause 70% of all deaths include heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung diseases, and type 2 diabetes.
- The key potential factor responsible for chronic illnesses includes tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol use.
What Are Chronic Illnesses?
Chronic illness is a sickness, condition, or trauma that can prolong for years or a lifetime and usually is not curable, however, in some cases it may move into remission. Its severity may vary, with some people fit to function and live active or seemingly regular lives; while others are sick and possibly even be severely disabled.
What Are Most the Common Chronic Illnesses?
While several diseases can be considered chronic but when it comes to morbidity, mortality and healthcare cost these 12 leading chronic conditions form a huge burden:
- Heart disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Oral diseases
What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Diseases?
A chronic disease is something that persists for around three months or above. Your awareness of unusual or persistent symptoms is essential for detection and prevention of any chronic illness along with the right diagnosis and treatment planning by medical professionals.
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- Since there is a wide range of chronic illnesses out there, it is hard to compile a complete list of characteristic symptoms or signs for the different chronic disease.
- Hardness or tenderness at the joints usually occurs with inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis.
- Instances of breathing issues and dizziness along with chest pain at times occur with heart diseases.
- Primary cancer growth symptoms may include a significant and unplanned weight loss, constant fatigue, reduced appetite, and more.
Is Diabetes Regarded as a Chronic Illness?
Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, presently impacts 200 million people and is the 5th leading cause of death globally. It’s persistently on the rise and characterized by a surplus of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia), which typically results in excessive urination and intense thirst.
Can Chronic Illness Get Cured?
Most chronic conditions don’t improve on their own and are mostly not cured entirely. Some can be instantly life-threatening like heart disease and stroke. Others persist over time and require in-depth management, such as diabetes. Most chronic illnesses stay lifelong, but don’t always cause pain and arthritis is one of them.
The symptoms of the chronic disease can be baffling to manage on a daily basis, but there are a lot of chronic illness treatments and therapies available. Sometimes your chronic illness management will also depend on what you can do to stay as healthy as possible including making diet and lifestyle changes. People with chronic illness appear to do suitably well when they work in collaboration with their doctors to take charge of their health.
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Newport Family Medicine, located in Newport Beach, CA, offers full-service family practice from pregnancy through childhood and adulthood to maturity. We provide comprehensive health care for people of all age groups.