Chronic health conditions start slowly and progress slowly. Chronic illness usually leads to long term symptoms and loss of physical functioning. Full recovery is usually not expected.
When facing a chronic health condition, the most important things to do are to understand the condition and to respond to it by becoming a skilled self-manager.*
Examples of many chronic health conditions include:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Cancer
- Chronic fatigue
- Chronic pain
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Emphesyma
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Overweight
- Hepatitis (A and B)
- High blood pressure
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Lymphedema
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Renal failure
- Stroke
If you have found a treatment that is controlling your condition as long as you take it for the rest of your life, you still have a chronic health condition. Your experience can help others.