Chronic Disease Awareness Day

Chronic Disease Awareness Day is dedicated to increasing awareness about chronic diseases, their impact, causes, symptoms, and prevention. This important day seeks to offer support to those living with chronic diseases. Every year, on June 10th, we observe this day to remind the world that chronic diseases are responsible for every seven out of ten deaths; however, with increased awareness and support, these numbers can be brought down.

This blog will help you understand what is chronic disease, its symptoms, causes and treatments.

What is a Chronic Disease?

Chronic refers to something that happens continuously for a prolonged period of time. Hence, a chronic disease or chronic health condition is a disease lasting for more than three months. It develops over time and cannot be prevented by vaccination. It requires long-term, ongoing medical attention. Such a disease is non-communicable and slow-progressing. Chronic disease causes are complex and have long latency periods, which means there is a long time between the onset of the disease and the appearance of its first signs. 

Common Chronic Diseases

There are different chronic diseases, each with its own causes, symptoms, and treatments. Some common chronic conditions are:

Diabetes

Not all chronic diseases are curable. Some, like diabetes, require lifelong management. Diabetes causes high blood sugar levels because the body cannot regulate them. It can also cause many other serious health problems.

Heart Diseases

There are a range of heart diseases that are chronic and life-threatening. One such example is congestive heart failure, a long-term condition where the heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. As a result, blood starts collecting in the lungs, legs and feet, causing other health issues.

Cancer

Cancer is a condition caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells. It is a life-threatening chronic disease that can affect any part of the body, such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, and breasts. Cancers are defined by their location in the body and the tissues forming them. Sometimes, one chronic condition can develop into a cancer, such as chronic kidney disease, which is a risk factor for kidney cancer.

Chronic Liver Disease 

Also known as liver cirrhosis, it affects normal liver function. It is a long-term disease in which damage to the liver occurs over time. Liver damage occurs when scar tissues begin replacing healthy liver tissues. In severe cases, it can result in liver failure.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a common condition among women. In India one in eight women suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition affects the nervous and immune system, and the body’s ability to generate energy. This type of fatigue does not go away by sleeping or resting and affects a person’s ability to perform daily activities.

Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases

Individual’s risk factors for chronic diseases can be classified into the following three categories:

1. Behavioural Risk factors: These include factors like lifestyle and habits such as smoking, tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet.
2. Background Risk Factors: These factors include age, sex, family history,  and genetics.
3. Intermediate Risk Factors: These factors include underlying health conditions that can develop into chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol.

Management of Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases are generally complex to cure or sometimes incurable. Chronic disease treatment mainly includes management of the symptoms through lifestyle changes, medication and diet modification. The treatment is different for every chronic disease. However, following some simple tips that are mentioned below can help manage your chronic condition better:

• Follow a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise and a healthy and nutritious diet, and lead a disciplined life by following a routine.
• Manage stress through breathing exercises, meditating, and spending quality time with family and friends.
• Monitor your health regularly through regular checkups and doctor consultations.
• Use technology, such as fitness trackers, BP and sugar monitors, smart weighing scales, to monitor your health parameters. 
• Invest in critical illness health insurance that covers the cost of expensive treatments and checkups.

Wrapping Up!

Chronic diseases threaten life and are an economic burden on families. Knowledge of effective preventive measures and financial support can help people suffering from such diseases manage their conditions. Hence, Chronic Disease Awareness Day plays an important role in increasing people’s knowledge of the disease and the financial support they can get for its management and treatment.

If you want to protect your family against chronic diseases and be prepared for the worst, invest in a Super Mediclaim plan, a health insurance cover for critical illnesses offered by Care Health Insurance today. Reach out to our team today to discover the comprehensive coverage for critical illnesses included in the plan. 

>> Also Read: Chronic Pain Management and Health Insurance Coverage

Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.