how to decide when chronic conditions treatment isn't working

How can I manage a chronic condition?

The people who make such changes are more likely to successfully manage a chronic condition than those who don't. Investing the time and energy to make healthy changes usually pays handsome dividends, ranging from feeling better to living longer. Make it a family affair.

Why do I have a hard time complying with treatment?

Lack of trust: If for whatever reason, you don't believe your treatment is going to make a difference in your health, you may not be motivated to comply. Apathy: When you don't realize the importance of the treatment, or you don't care if the treatment works or not, you are less likely to comply.

What happens when a patient does not understand their medical conditions?

When patients do not understand their medical conditions, they tend not to follow the treatment plans. In explaining diagnoses, it is helpful to begin by finding out what the patient believes is wrong, what the patient thinks will happen, and how much more he or she wants to know.

Can you live with a chronic condition day to day?

You can live with a chronic condition day to day, responding to its sometimes swiftly changing symptoms and problems. Or you can take charge and manage the disease instead of letting it rule you. Here are 10 helpful strategies for coping with a chronic condition. Get a prescription for information.

Do chronic diseases respond well to treatment?

You may have it for the rest of your life. Not all diseases are chronic diseases. Some non- chronic diseases respond well to treatment and the person recovers from the disease. Other non-chronic diseases will simply pass on their own without the need for treatment.

Are chronic conditions rarely curable?

Most chronic illnesses do not fix themselves and are generally not cured completely. Some can be immediately life-threatening, such as heart disease and stroke. Others linger over time and need intensive management, such as diabetes.

How long must symptoms be present for a chronic condition?

Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both.

Can chronic disease get worse?

Chronic disease in the United States, already highly prevalent, is expected to worsen over the next several decades among all age groups. The burden of the associated physical and economic costs will worsen, as well.

What are the 7 most common chronic diseases?

High blood pressure (hypertension) affects 58% of seniors. ... High cholesterol affects 47% of seniors. ... Arthritis affects 31% of seniors. ... Coronary heart disease affects 29% of seniors. ... Diabetes affects 27% of seniors. ... Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 18% of seniors. ... Heart failure affects 14% of seniors.More items...

How do you deal with incurable diseases?

5 Tips on Coping with an Incurable IllnessBe knowledgeable enough. Knowledge is power and can help you chart the best course of action, such as finding the best doctors and treatments for your conditions. ... Live for today. ... Don't compare yourself to others. ... Don't be afraid to ask for help. ... Do what makes you feel good.

What is considered a chronic condition?

A disease or condition that usually lasts for 3 months or longer and may get worse over time. Chronic diseases tend to occur in older adults and can usually be controlled but not cured. The most common types of chronic disease are cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.

How do you live with chronic illness?

If I have a chronic illness, how can I make my life better?Eating a healthy diet.Getting as much physical activity as you can.Avoiding negative coping mechanisms like alcohol and substance abuse.Exploring stress-relief activities like meditation.Letting of obligations that you don't really need to do or want to do.More items...•

What are the top 10 chronic health conditions?

Trends show an overall increase in chronic diseases. Currently, the top ten health problems in America (not all of them chronic) are heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory disease, injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and septicemia [14,15,16,17,18].

What are four risk factors for chronic disease?

The CDC identifies four main preventable risk factors in contributing to chronic disease: tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and alcohol use. As a physician, it's important to keep an eye on trends in these risk factors, in addition to counseling your patients on prevention.

What are 5 behaviors that could prevent someone from getting a chronic disease?

Five key health-related behaviors for chronic disease prevention are never smoking, getting regular physical activity, consuming no alcohol or only moderate amounts, maintaining a normal body weight, and obtaining daily sufficient sleep.

What is chronic illness burnout?

Burnout is a chronic affective state comprised of symptoms of emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and cognitive weariness. It is an outcome of depletion of energetic resources resulting from prolonged exposure to work and life stresses.

How to ease a chronic condition?

The lifestyle changes you make to ease a chronic condition such as high cholesterol or heart disease are good for almost everyone. Instead of going it alone, invite family members or friends to join in. Manage your medications. Remembering to take one pill a day is tough; managing 10 or more is daunting.

How to get the scoop on a chronic disease?

To get the real scoop, look for a support group in your area and talk with people who have been through what you are facing. Plan for end-of-life decisions. If the diagnosis of a chronic condition, or life with one, has you thinking about death , channel those thoughts to the kind of care you want at the end of your life .

Can you live with chronic disease?

You can live with a chronic condition day to day, responding to its sometimes swiftly changing symptoms and problems. Or you can take charge and manage the disease instead of letting it rule you. Here are 10 helpful strategies for coping with a chronic condition. Get a prescription for information.

Can depression keep you from taking medications?

Dark, dreary moods plague a third or more of people with chronic diseases. Depression can keep you from taking important medications, seeing your doctor when you need to, or pursuing healthy habits. Read up on the signs of depression. Let your doctor know if you think you're depressed or heading in that direction.

Can a primary care doctor talk to you about your arthritis?

In an ideal world, the specialists you see for your heart, your diabetes, and your arthritis would talk with each other every now and then about your medical care. In the real world, this doesn't usually happen. A primary care physician can put the pieces together to make sure your treatments are good for the whole you.

Can you heal a broken appendix?

Dealing with the pain and aggravation of a broken bone or burst appendix isn't easy. But at least there's an end in sight. Once the bone or belly heals, you're pretty much back to normal. That's not true for high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, or other chronic conditions. With no "cure" in sight, they usually last a lifetime.

What are the challenges of coping with chronic conditions?

For many older people, coping with multiple chronic conditions is a real challenge. Learning to manage a variety of treatments while maintaining quality of life can be problematic. People with chronic conditions may have different needs, but they also share common challenges with other older adults, such as paying for care or navigating ...

Why do older people refuse to get treatment?

Some older patients may refuse treatment because they do not understand what it involves or how it will improve their health. In some cases, they may be frightened about side effects or have misinformation from friends and relatives with similar health problems. They may also be concerned about the cost of the treatment.

Why do older patients want to know?

Most older patients want to understand their medical conditions and are interested in learning how to manage them. Likewise, family members and other caregivers want this information. Physicians typically underestimate how much patients want to know and overestimate how long they spend giving information to patients.

Why is it important to be a clinician?

Clinicians can play an important role in educating patients and families about chronic health conditions and can connect them with appropriate community resources and services. Try to start by appreciating that people living with chronic disease are often living with loss — the loss of physical function, independence, or general well-being.

How to reduce disruption to the patient's routine?

Tailor the plan to the patient's situation and lifestyle, and try to reduce disruption to the patient's routine. Indicate the purpose of each medication. Make it clear which medications must be taken and on what schedule. It is helpful to say which drugs the patient should take only when having particular symptoms.

Do clinical trials provide extended care?

Most trials offer short-term treatments related to a specific illness or condition. They do not provide extended or complete primary health care. Find clinical trials information for patients. For information about federally and privately supported clinical research, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

How many people have chronic pain?

More than 100 million Americans have chronic pain. If you're one of them, controlling it will likely require searching for treatments beyond medication. That's because pain medication, while helpful, often cannot provide complete relief of pain. It may reduce but not eliminate pain. Carla Ulbrich, 45, is willing to use medication ...

Why do people look to complementary medicine?

Some people look to complementary medical approaches because medicines haven't worked.

How to treat nerve pain?

To reach these goals, doctors may try: 1 Medication that address pain from different angles. For example, antidepressants can help "calm down" the nervous system and make it less sensitive to the pain, Fine says. The anti- seizure drugs gabapentin and pregabalin can also be effective for certain types of nerve pain. 2 Injecting anesthetic or steroids into injured areas. 3 Doing surgery to treat the source of pain. This includes joint replacements, repairing damaged discs in the spine, or taking pressure off a pinched nerve.

How does CBT help people?

CBT helps people: Change their pain-related thoughts. "If the thought of a pain flare-up makes you say things to yourself like, 'I'll have to go to the ER for sure,' or, 'I can't stand this anymore, this is ruining my life,' it can really dig a hole for you," Thorn says.

How can a psychologist help you deal with pain?

A psychologist can also help you deal with your pain with a related technique: mindfulness. Instead of reacting when pain grabs your attention, mindfulness involves observing the pain with a neutral attitude. "When that reaction isn't there anymore, pain is easier to manage," Thorn says. "What people start to realize is that there's a lot ...

What is the best treatment for joint pain?

Topical treatments. These include menthol rubs , capsaicin cream (for joint pain ), and arnica cream.

What are some ways to reduce inflammation?

Herbs and supplements. The herbs ginger and turmeric can reduce inflammation, for example. Always tell your doctor about any supplements you're taking, even if they're "natural," so that your doctor can watch for any problems and has a complete record of what you've tried. Acupuncture and acupressure.

Why don't patients follow treatment plans?

Reasons Patients Don't Comply. Research published in 2011 suggests that some of the main reasons patients do not adhere to treatment plans include: 5 . Denial of the problem: Many diseases and conditions are easy to ignore, even when they have been diagnosed. This is particularly true for diseases that are asymptomatic, ...

What happens if you don't follow through with your doctor?

Needless to say, when patients don't follow through with the treatment decisions they have made together with their physicians, it can cause additional problems. They may not get over their sickness or injury. They may get even sicker or injure themselves further—or worse.

How to keep a medicine calendar?

Keep a "medicine calendar" near your medicine: Make a checkmark every time you take your dose. Tell your doctor if paying for prescription drugs is a problem: Your doctor may be able to prescribe a generic medication or offer other suggestions to offset the cost of a drug. (Generic drugs can cost 80 to 85% less .)

How many people die from treatable diseases in the US?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 125,000 people with treatable ailments die each year in the United States because they do not take their medication properly. 1 

What to do if you are not following through on a drug?

If you find yourself tempted not to follow through on your treatment, contact your doctor to share your reasons, and together, to the extent it's possible, work out an alternative you both can agree on.

Can you get insurance for a syphilis?

The cost of the treatment: Your medications and therapies may or may not be covered by insurance, and the more out-of-pocket costs you have, the less likely you are to buy the drugs or make treatment appointments.

Can you take prescriptions as directed 2021?

Updated on February 24, 2021. It may seem obvious, even non-negotiable, that if your doctor gives you a prescription, you'll have it filled by your pharmacist and you'll take it as directed; if he or she gives you a referral to a specialist or recommends lifestyle changes, you'll follow through.

What is the most common problem in primary care?

Anemia, or a low hemoglobin level, is one of the most common problems seen in primary care. Hemoglobin is a protein found within red blood cells (RBCs) that contains iron. Anemia can occur as the result of too few normal RBCs, a normal cell number with low hemoglobin levels in each cell, or hemoglobin that’s genetically altered.

What to do if you have anemia and are over 50?

If the anemia persists, or you’re over 50 years old, an endoscopy may be recommended to look in the stomach or colon for persistent microscopic blood loss.

How to check for anemia?

Follow-up blood tests are the first step. That may include: 1 a complete blood count (CBC), which checks your hemoglobin level and RBC number 2 follow-up iron, vitamin 12, or folate studies if the cause of your anemia is known 3 a test to look for increased RBC production, known as a reticulocyte count, to see if your bone marrow is doing its job 4 a peripheral blood smear to look for too-fast recycling of blood cells may also be ordered 5 a hemoglobin electrophoresis test to look for genetic hemoglobin protein problems

What is the first line of treatment for anemia?

First-line treatments for anemia depend on the cause. Normal cell numbers with low cellular hemoglobin means you may not have enough iron, vitamin B12, or folate, all of which are necessary for your bone marrow to make RBCs. Low iron levels can also be from blood loss, for example from monthly periods.

How long does it take for iron levels to go back to normal?

If the cause is low iron, your doctor will check your CBC and iron studies after a month. Iron levels should be back to normal after 2 to 4 months of supplementation. Vitamin B12 and folate levels also take that long to fully respond.

Can you take iron supplements 3 times a week?

Antacids can interfere with iron absorption, while taking vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can help. Taking iron supplements three times a week can also help.

Can you take iron if you have anemia?

In extreme or resistant cases, iron can also be given intravenously. If the anemia is not related to iron or vitamin levels, then increasing your iron intake won’t help, and it can lead to problems related to too much iron in the body.

What happens if cancer stops working?

Or maybe one type of cancer treatment has stopped working and the cancer has kept growing. If this happens, your doctor might say your cancer has advanced or progressed. There may or may not be other treatment options. But when many different treatments have been tried and are no longer controlling the cancer, it could be time to weigh ...

How to trust your doctor about cancer?

Trusting your cancer care team. Talking with your doctor and cancer care team, and trusting them to be honest, open, and supportive, is very important. You will have more confidence in treatment decisions if you trust the doctors making recommendations. This means communication is a key part of your care, from diagnosis throughout treatment ...

How to talk to your loved ones about cancer?

Talking with your loved ones. Be open with your loved ones about your cancer and the news you've been given. Explore their thoughts, feelings, and suggestions. Talk to them about the options you have been given, along with the decisions you have made or are thinking of making. If you feel you need their input, ask.

Is there hope for a life without cancer?

Staying hopeful. Your hope for a life without cancer might not be as bright, but there is still hope for good times with family and friends – times that are filled with happiness and meaning. Pausing at this time in your cancer treatment gives you a chance to refocus on the most important things in your life.

Does cancer stop working?

If Cancer Treatments Stop Working. Cancer treatments can help stop cancer from growing or spreading. But sometimes treatment does not work well or stops working. Maybe treatment ended a while ago and was successful at first, but cancer has come back. Or maybe one type of cancer treatment has stopped working and the cancer has kept growing.

Can palliative care be used for cancer?

Be sure to ask about and get treatment for any symptoms you might have, such as nausea or pain. Palliative care can be used whether you are getting cancer treatment or not. And it can be used at any stage of your illness. Palliative care is used to help ease symptoms and side effects.

How to balance working and living with illness?

1. Decide if it’s helpful to disclose your condition to your boss or colleagues. In some situations, you may choose to keep your health information private.

How to maintain a healthy work life balance?

Respect your limits. Honoring your body and not pushing it to the max are vital to creating a healthy work-life balance. “Sometimes, I have to take time for myself. When I get home, it’s straight to the couch.

Why is it difficult to remember a long agenda?

For people with certain chronic illnesses, remembering a long agenda can be nearly impossible due to fatigue, brain fog, medications, or other reasons. To stay organized, Maloney began carrying a journal wherever she goes.

What happens after you stop cancer treatment?

For instance, after you stop treatment, a new drug may come to the market, a clinical trial could open, or you may hear of a doctor who has a new way of treating the cancer you have. If so, you can always decide to start treatment again. No matter what you choose, your health care team can provide emotional and physical comfort and care along ...

What to do if you are depressed?

If you’re depressed, you may lose focus on your goals. Before you decide, speak to a counselor, ask your doctor about starting depression medication, or both. Look at other options. Some people like to exhaust all possible avenues for treatment before they make up their mind.

Research on Noncompliance

Reasons Patients Don't Comply

• Research published in 2011 suggests that some of the main reasons patients do not adhere to treatment plans include:5 1. Denial of the problem: Many diseases and conditions are easy to ignore, even when they have been diagnosed. This is particularly true for diseases that are asymptomatic, meaning they don't have noticeable symptoms that bother th...

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