What are chronic diseases?
There’s some debate among medical professionals around how long someone must have an ongoing condition for it to be a chronic disease. Their figures range from three months to one year.
There are, however, some key characteristics that most agree on. Typically, there’s no way to vaccinate against chronic disease and no cure once you have one.
However, they are largely preventable if you make sensible life choices and you can treat the symptoms to maintain a high quality of life.
Millennium Park Medical Associates takes a comprehensive approach when managing chronic illness, using screenings, checkups, personalized treatment plans, and patient education to help make the condition easier to live with.
What are common chronic diseases?
Many common conditions are also chronic diseases. They include:
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Heart disease
- Depression
- Arthritis
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- HIV/AIDS
Regardless of the condition you have, Dr. Khan creates a comprehensive care plan to deal with your symptoms.
What causes chronic disease?
Many chronic diseases result from:
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- An unhealthy diet
- Lack of exercise
Other causes include genetics and your health history, both past and current.
During annual wellness checks, Dr. Khan discusses your lifestyle with you to determine whether there’s anything you should change to improve your health and well-being.
How do you treat chronic disease?
Chronic disease treatment varies depending on what condition you have, the severity of your symptoms, and your general health status.
Dr. Khan takes a conservative, evidence-based approach to treatment and uses a combination of medicine, lifestyle changes, and complementary therapies.
How can I help prevent chronic disease?
Changing your behaviors often helps prevent chronic diseases from developing altogether. Lifestyle changes you can make include:
- Following a regular exercise regimen
- Getting a good night’s sleep
- Avoiding alcohol or limiting intake
- Following a healthy, balanced diet
- Scheduling regular health screenings
- Being aware of your family medical history
Dr. Khan identifies if you’re at risk of developing a chronic disease and treats any you may already have.
For chronic disease management when you need it, call Millennium Park Medical Associates to make an appointment or use the online booking tool today.
