11 ways to manage chronic illness

Here are 11 ways to handle prolonged health issues every day and become stronger in the end. Not all of these ways to manage a chronic illness will apply to you, but implementing those that can fit into your daily routine may be beneficial. Only do so, though, after getting your doctor’s approval.

Finding ways to manage a chronic illness

When you are suffering from a debilitating illness, it can feel really restricting on your entire life. You want nothing more than to continue your routine, but you realize you are now slightly different from everybody else around you. While they are getting fit for the summer or planning their latest vacation, you may feel pretty lonely. There is something quite isolating about having a prolonged illness or disease; you never quite know when your symptoms will flare up.

You can have good days and awful days, so you can never really make plans in advance just in case you have to cancel. Maintaining solid friendships can be difficult when you can’t hang out with them regularly. All you want to do is feel like everybody else instead of constantly thinking about your medication. The key here is to learn ways to manage a chronic illness.

Help break free from the shackles of your health problems by remaining positive as often as possible. Nobody else can sympathize with you, although they can show empathy.

You feel the way you feel for a reason, and you must let people know. Don’t let these emotions bring you into a deep dark hole. Instead, step out of the box and look toward the future. Everything looks brighter for you when you do so. Embrace life more fully.

1. Keep your equipment clean

If you suffer from an illness that affects your breathing or if you have obstructive sleep apnea, you might be using special equipment to increase the air pressure in your throat. This device ensures your airway doesn’t collapse for your health. A dirty CPAP machine might just be the culprit if you have been getting sick more than usual.

Bacteria and germs can thrive in that warm and moist environment, so you must keep it clean with a CPAP cleaner. Using a reputable cleaner for your machine can prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Ensure all of your medical machinery is clean and disinfected so you can start to feel better. Dirty equipment can be lethal if your immune system is already quite low, so treat your medical machines properly. If the thought of maintaining everything is overwhelming, get somebody on board to help you.

Sometimes, cleaning isn’t enough to keep your CPAP tools in mint condition and hygienic. When it’s time to replace your CPAP supplies, don’t delay. Affordable, quality CPAP supplies are readily available online these days.

2. Ask for help at home

When battling a chronic illness, it’s really important to have day-to-day assistance at home. You might need extra help doing everyday tasks, such as making tea, showering, and getting dressed. These things are truly important to maintain a good quality of life, so ask for help if you need it.

You could either have a family member or spouse as a carer or hire from a professional care company. Be aware of the costs of a regular carer and try and explore all of your options before you commit to that.

3. Get a cleaner

Keeping your home clean and tidy will likely be very tiring for somebody with an illness. Some days you feel like you can conquer the world and tackle all of your chores at once, but other days you need help to keep the house clean, wash dishes, and do laundry.

A cleaner can be an extremely useful addition to your life by removing the stress of daily chores. That’s why we recommend it as one of the ways to manage a chronic illness. A weekly visit from a cleaner can lighten your burdens and allow you to focus on getting your health back up.

4. Try to get fresh air to manage chronic illness

Getting a little fresh air every day will help you no matter how you feel daily. Depending on the illness, you might find that a short walk in the park once a day helps clear your mind and get your body moving. If you are bed-bound, crack open a window and open up the curtains so that you can experience some sort of fresh air and daylight.

5. Eat nourishing foods

Food should be seen as medicine for everybody in the world. So many people take their health for granted and fuel their bodies with sugary, refined, fatty foods that don’t provide them with the necessary nourishment. You might see a huge improvement in your health if you choose to make some small changes to your food choices.

Try incorporating more fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals. Doing so can increase energy levels, which is important to fight off disease more easily. Taking care of what you put into your body is among the top ways to manage a chronic illness.

6. Don’t forget to take your medication

As important as food can be to repair cells and reduce damage in your body, there will probably be no adequate replacement for your medication. When the doctor prescribes medicine, you must follow their orders and take it as and when you need it.

Ways to manage a chronic illness can include setting reminders for that medication. For example, schedule it on your phone and set an alarm when it’s time to consume the meds. Or buy a special medicine container so that you always remember where your pills are.

7. Keep in touch with your doctor to manage chronic illness

Maintaining a good relationship with your doctor and communicating regularly is important. They will want to keep assessing your condition as time passes and may even alter your medication depending on your progress. Have their phone number on speed dial, and if you have any questions or worries, don’t hesitate to contact them.

8. Find an activity to distract you

Boredom is another issue to address. Learn to stave off boredom as another way to manage a chronic illness if it restricts you from pursuing everyday activities. Find an activity that you enjoy doing and that distracts you from pain and lowers stress.
It could be anything, such as reading, coloring, or baking. Do what makes you feel most content and relaxed during times of trouble. If you have enough energy and your health permits it then an outdoor activity would be ideal.

9. Don’t miss out on social events

Try not to isolate yourself from upcoming social activities because you feel insecure or depressed about your illness. One of the best ways to manage a chronic illness is to surround yourself with a supportive social network. These are the people who truly care about you.

They might be related or close friends, teachers, neighbors… You get the picture. Being in their company will make you feel so much better. Many people use their illness as an excuse to skip out on social activities, so don’t let anything get in the way of having a good time when you feel up to it.

10. As you manage chronic illness, create a bucket list

Try to put a positive spin on your illness or disease. Depending on how serious or long-term your illness is, you might want to create a bucket list of fun activities to complete by a certain point in time. This list will keep you looking ahead and make sure you are actively seeking out experiences you want to do.

Which activities you select will be unique to you. Maybe you want to go and see a professional musical on stage. Or perhaps deep-sea snorkeling is on your list. You could literally add anything to your list and keep ticking them off over the years.

11. Always remain positive

Maintaining a positive outlook on your life, no matter how much fear, pain, or suffering you have, helps you live a life full of valuable experiences. When you feel low about your situation, look at the positive aspects of your life and try to change your current mindset. Think of those people who love you and try to live to the fullest despite the tricky cards you have been handed in life.

Consult your doctor before making any changes

No matter how small or large your health issue is, it is still a problem that makes you feel different from everybody else. If you have been feeling low, deflated, and isolated, then these ways to manage a chronic illness can hopefully help you to get back on track.

Depending on the seriousness of your health problem, you might find that some of these ideas simply don’t work for you. As always, consult a medical professional before changing your medication, equipment, eating habits, and any part of your routine. If you think something will have an adverse effect on your health, steer clear of it or ask your doctor for advice. This post aims to lift people when feeling down.