Chronic Disease And Self Care
- Feb 22, 2016
- 2 min read
Individuals who have been diagnosed with a chronic disease must not only provide self care, but must manage the disease to prevent complications, to make a full recovery and to improve quality of life.
After seeing a health professional they may have to follow instructions given to them or take prescribed medication. In any case, they will have to provide SELF CARE at home. Both will have to be integrated.
With a chronic disease the aim of self care is to improve your health, relieve symptoms of the disease and prevent complications. Self care becomes a big responsibility.
The risk factors that cause the disease must be the focus in providing self care. This begins with knowing what caused your disease, the risk factors for chronic diseases or both.
Persons who have been diagnosed with a chronic disease will receive medical care from medical experts. On return home they must provide self care. Their self care could involve:
Taking medication as prescribed
Receiving treatment
Keeping appointments
Making lifestyle changes
Most important these individuals would need to take steps to remove the health risk factors that cause diseases. In many cases this would require a lifestyle change to modify the risk factors.
The main health risk factors for chronic diseases are:
Physical inactivity
Unhealthy eating
Smoking
Air pollution
Overeight/Obesity
Alcohol abuse
Once you are diagnosed with a chronic disease, your medical doctor will most likely give you a cause. If the cause can be modified, your self care will involve taking actions to change any behaviour related to the cause.
Our health program prepares individuals to prevent chronic diseases and to self care should they develop one.
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