A chronic disease can be difficult to manage. It can interfere with your life, keeping you from enjoying an active lifestyle. Fortunately, your osteopathic doctor can help manage and treat your chronic disease, so you can feel better.
Some chronic diseases can have little to no symptoms until you are in the later stages of disease. Other chronic diseases can produce symptoms which can be quite severe. Examples of chronic diseases include:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Epilepsy
- Obesity
- Liver and kidney disease
- Lung disease
- Neurological disorders
- Autoimmune disorders
Chronic diseases can be caused by a wide variety of factors, including:
- Aging
- Smoking
- Genetics
- Poor diet
- Excessive alcohol use
- Exposure to a virus
- Exposure to a bacteria
- Exposure to an environmental toxin
The goals of chronic disease treatment are to reduce or eliminate symptoms, and to eliminate or manage the chronic disease. Your osteopathic doctor can recommend a wide variety of treatments for chronic diseases. Some of the most common chronic disease treatments include:
- Medications to reduce or eliminate symptoms
- Physical therapy to improve strength and flexibility
- Surgical treatment to repair or replace a damaged organ, bone, or tissue
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill cancerous cells
- Laboratory testing to determine the underlying cause of disease
- Allergy testing to determine specific allergens your body reacts to
- Medical and assistive devices to aid in mobility and quality of life
There are also lifestyle modifications you can make to help manage chronic diseases. Important steps you can take include:
- Quitting smoking
- Diet modification to reduce fat and sugar
- Nutritional and vitamin supplementation
- Reducing or avoiding alcohol consumption
- Practicing stress reduction techniques
- Developing an exercise program
- Wearing protective equipment to guard against environmental exposure
When you are dealing with a chronic disease, that doesn’t mean you have to stop living an enjoyable life. Your osteopathic doctor can help you live better, longer, even with a chronic disease. To find out more about the causes and treatment of chronic diseases and how your osteopathic doctor can help, call your osteopathic doctor today.