A chronic condition is defined in Wikipedia as “A human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects.” When one has a chronic illness there is little to no hope that this condition will be gone tomorrow or the next day or even next month! It’s a type of affliction that makes the able bodied person shudder with dread and yet thousands live with this sentence every day.
Some examples of chronic conditions may include:
- allergies
- arthritis
- asthma
- cancer
- crohn’s disease
- cystic fibrosis
- diabetes
- epilepsy
- haemophilia
- coeliac disease
- multiple sclerosis
- lupus
- chronic fatigue syndrome
Just the knowledge that you may be saddled with excruciating pain or even simple discomfort can be enough to drive some people to drink. Think back to the last time you had a tooth ache and couldn’t get in to see the dentist straight away. You were ready to rip the thing out by the roots with your bare hands right? Well consider the poor souls who must live with that kind of pain day and day out.
Living with chronic or long term illness and its treatment presents special problems for the sufferer. They need to learn how to:
- Live with the physical effects of the illness
- Deal with the treatments
- Make sure there is clear communication with doctors
- Maintain emotional balance to cope with negative feelings
- Maintain confidence and a positive self image.
- Manage the level of pain experienced in each day.
- Deal with the misunderstandings of family and friends
So what can a person do in terms of management to alleviate some of the pain and get through each day a little more successfully than the day before? Here are some suggestions.
Vitamins C, D, E and Omega – 3 fatty acids
All of these can be anti-inflammatory agents. They all have some degree of
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