by The major causes of death in the current world include; diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Chronic diseases, on the other hand are permanent and their treatment aims at the management of the symptoms for the disease which could cause undesirable effects interfering with the patient’s functioning. The management of chronic diseases therefore can be approached through a number of intervention and may include medications, adjustment of the behaviours of the patients and; counselling. This article provides elementary details of chronic disease management and serves the purpose of this article by providing the types of chronic disease management, major issues along with some of the prevention and extension of functionality.
Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases are diseases that are of a long-standing nature and persists until the individual’s demise and progression of the disease is slow. It has been established that most of them can have genetic heritability and that they may also be linked to the immediate environment or other aspects of a person’s lifestyle.
The Importance of Early Diagnosis
It can therefore be seen that early diagnosis of chronic diseases is very important In this case there it is apprehensive to realize that its early diagnosis can be deemed very important. Hiv screening can help in decreasing the extent of an illness, slowing up progression of the disease and consequently improving the lives of those affected. Other factors that are important getting early detection of the diseases include awareness of family history, general check-ups and screening process.
Benefits of Early Diagnosis
Improved treatment outcomes: That means, early diagnosis of the disease will help in controlling the disease and also its complications.
Better quality of life: These symptoms if well managed should allow one to go on living a life that has a higher level of functioning.
Cost savings: This can be said about a certain type of disorder: the earlier it is diagnosed and treated, the fewer chances will be needed to take a more expensive type of treatment later.
By frequently going for check-ups, and being aware of early signs of chronic diseases, then we shall be is a position to diagnose these diseases early and treat them properly.
Chronic Diseases and Health Care Providers and their Practice
The major players in chronic diseases are healthcare practitioners in that they diagnose, treat and prevent the conditions. Some of the tasks that they are supposed to perform include diagnosing, treating the patients and educating them as well as being in charge of further assessment of the patients condition.
Key Responsibilities
Developing a treatment plan: This varies from using mere words to tell the patient to take certain drugs, to guide the patient on certain matters such as exercise, to guide the patient on certain issues and to recommend to the patient to come for a review after a given time.
Patient education: This subtopic comprises information concerning the disease and its available treatment procedures, and how to manage signs and symptoms accordingly.
Monitoring and adjusting treatment: This is because the disease unlike other chronic diseases such as diabetes, can be managed by frequent monitoring of the patient so as to make changes to the care plan that has been developed frequently.
Interprofessional relationships such as PCP, specialists, nurses, and other allied health personnel are very important for proper management of chronic illness.
Chronic Disease Self Management
In the case of their chronic diseases, the patients have to become an active participant of the process. Those that feel involved in the process are more likely to follow treatment instructions where changes are required.
Strategies for Patient Involvement
Self-monitoring: An operation of assessing, managing and documenting of symptoms, medications and adherence to lifestyles changes and dietary regimens.
Educating oneself: In terms of categories, it can be stated that the knowledge regarding disease, treatment as well as management procedures fall under this category.
Communication: The ongoing communication to the healthcare providers on the nature and details of the patient’s worry, his signs and the outcomes of different treatment processes as may be expected.
Modifications of the lifestyle in chronic diseases
In many chronic illnesses, a part of the therapeutic process involves a notable change in the patient’s daily behaviors. They can affect the evolution of the disease and the general well-being of the people rather dramatically.
Key Lifestyle Modifications
Dietary Changes: Replacing processed foods with increased level of fruits, vegetables whole grain products lean meats, healthy fat may enable prevention and management of such diseases as diabetes and heart diseases.
Physical Activity: This is very vital inorder to prevent the complications that arise from obesity, heart diseases and stress among other diseases.
Smoking Cessation: Smoking should be stopped because it weakens the immune system, causes hypersensitivity and bronchitis, emphysema and other respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and it reduces the chances of one getting cancer.
Alcohol Moderation: No alcohol enables one to minimize chances that relate to diseases that affects the liver, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Stress Management: Other change strategies include the following: meditation, yoga and counseling can also reduce stress which is an aggravating factor of several chronic diseases.
Such alteration in lifestyle may not be easy but when the health sector and people have a strong desire to change, it can be one of the most effective ways of enhancing health and quality life.
Medication Management in Chronic Disease
Management thus includes drugs which in the overall management of chronic diseases. Adherence to treatment entails that the patient’s condition is managed by the administration of medicines to treat the symptoms in order to prevent deterioration or worsening of the situation and overall quality of life.
Challenges in Medication Management
Adherence Issues: Some of the patients may just forget to ever take the drugs while others do not understand fully what the doctor told them and therefore do not take the prescriptions; others may develop some effects that make them to stay away from the prescriptions.
Polypharmacy: Majority of the chronic conditions necessitate use of multiple drugs in order to effectively manage the disease; therefore they increase risk of drug interactions and side effects.
Cost of Medications: Another challenge that may discourage a patient to adhere to a prescribed medication regime is cost; depending on whether the patient is able to foot the bills of the medications in the required regimen.
Strategies for Effective Medication Management:Medication administration: Nurse – led Interventions and Patient Programs
Clear Communication: I believe that the function of the healthcare provider are to enlighten the patient of the reason as to why each of the medications he is to take is important while at the same time informing the patient of the effects of the medications and how they may be dealt with.
Simplifying Regimens: To the degree of which this is possible, the health care providers should try to change some of the schedules to involve medications making it less difficult for the specified patient that is complaining to understand the instructions given on how to take his or her medication.
Medication Reminders: With regards to reminders, there are the pill organizers, alarms and smartphone applications which may be used to alert the patients to take their medications.
Technology in Chronic Disease Management
Everything from telemedicine to mobile health apps bring new possibilities to the virtual and physical tracking of management of these chronic diseases.
Innovations in Technology
Telemedicine: This is helpful in current day society since patients can seek medical advice from healthcare providers from the comforts of their homes, or wherever they are in case they have mobility challenges or live in rural areas.
Mobile Health Apps: Some of the applications can assist the patients with record their symptoms, keep record of medications, and appointments.
Wearable Devices: Activities such as steps taken and heart rates can be recorded through such gadgets as fitness trackers and smartwatches or even watch blood glucose levels in real-time.
Chronic disease self management can also be improved through the use of technology where patients can easily manage their own health improvement by communicating with their providers using technology.
The Impact of Diet on Chronic Disease
As earlier discussed, it has been noticed that the aspect of diet is one of the leading aspects which are used in management and even prevention of certain Chronic diseases. The former patholo gical conditions of diabetes, coronary ailments and hypertension are the worse off by the unhealthy foods while the reverse is the case wit the health foods.
Dietary Recommendations
Heart Disease: Low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium content will enable the prevention of heart diseases so feeding as indicated above does help.
Diabetes: THIS is explaining to mean that; Frequent monitoring of the carbohydrates taken and choice of low GI foods are helpful in managing high blood sugar levels.
Eating practices, nutrition and proper diet may have an influence with chronic diseases and the wellbeing of all individuals.
Exercise Role in Chronic Disease Management
Exercise has the possibility to influence positive the cardiovascular functioning, to influence the insulin level, to reduce the level of stress and contributes to the enhancement of the psychological health.
Recommendations
Cardiovascular Disease: Among the easy exercises are those activities such as walking, swimming, cycling among others since they help to build up the muscles of the heart as well as circulation.
Diabetes: Some of them include such assertion as the following; Blood glucose level for instance it is also regulated by aerobics as well as the resistance.
Respiratory Diseases: Precautions and regulations: Moderate movements in prone position, prone various pranayamic exercises will reduce the symptoms and also help in building the strength of the lungs.
Arthritis: The cardiovascular exercises include swimming and cycling among others; all, help in relieving joint pains and improving flexibility.
In every time, the patients should consult their doctor on what exercise program that should be taken based on their conditions.
Mental Health and Chronic Disease Management
In their course, chronic diseases alter the state of psychological well-being of a patient. Chronic diseases could lead to other complains like stress, anxiety, depression and other related disorders to health.
Mental Health Strategies
Counseling: The patients in chronic disease management require to communicate with mental health workers in order to counter the feelings that are associated with diseases.
Support Groups: Through participation in support groups patients are able to share word with other patients, and get motivation and recommendations.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Stress reducing procedures such as meditation, breathing exercises and yoga can also be effective in the management of stress besides improving the psychological well being of a person’s self.
The Role of Family and Caregivers
And thus, the family members and the caregivers feature prominently in management of chronic diseases. They are able to assist them in performing activities of daily living including feeding, bathing, administering medicine among others besides providing company to the patients.
Supporting Caregivers
Education: Even those who are related to the patient should be able to get all the necessary information about the current state of the patient, the treatment procedure and how they can possibly be of assistance.
Respite Care: sometimes it may be stressing and tiring especially when one has to attend to a sick or infirm relative and hence, for them, some relief assists them to overcome fatigue in order to continue taking care of their relations.
Emotional Support: The other recommendation is that caregivers also get to attend support groups and counseling for the main reason of receiving emotional support for indeed they too have their share of emotional struggle while engaged in caregiving.
Challenges in Chronic Disease Management
Effective in dealing with chronic diseases itself has its own problems that affect both clients and care givers.
Common Challenges
Adherence to Treatment: The treatments the patients may prescribed may not be easily manageable depending on the extent of the condition, some of the treatment regimens may have side effects, or the patient may not afford them.
Coordination of Care: This is especially the case with patients with, for example, two or more conditions where the patient visits multiple specialists for care.
Health Disparities: Social demographic characteristics like income, health care access and all the other factors may influence a person’s capacity to an ailment.
