Living Positively with Chronic Conditions
Your guide to controlling blood pressure and diabetes and living a healthy, active life with careful medical follow-up.
5 min readBeing diagnosed with a chronic disease like high blood pressure or diabetes does not mean the end of an active and healthy life. Rather, it is the beginning of a new phase that requires awareness and an adjusted lifestyle that can make you healthier than before.
In our Internal Medicine department, we believe the patient is a partner in the treatment plan. Here is how you can manage your health condition and enjoy your daily life.
The Importance of Regular Follow-ups
Chronic diseases are often "silent" in their early stages, making regular monitoring of vital stats the first line of defense against complications. Regularly measuring A1C, blood pressure, and kidney function helps your doctor accurately adjust your treatment plan and medication dosages.
The Impact of Lifestyle
Medication alone is not enough. A balanced, low-sodium diet for blood pressure, and low refined carbohydrates for diabetes, along with moderate physical activity like walking, all play a role equally important to medical drugs.
Benefits of Good Chronic Disease Management
- Prevention of heart attacks and strokes
- Protecting kidney function and fine vision
- Improved energy levels and reduced general fatigue
- Reducing the need to increase medication doses over time
- Enjoying a high quality of life and performing daily tasks efficiently
Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle
- Take your medications at the same time daily to make it a routine
- Record your home blood pressure and sugar readings and share them with your doctor
- Walk for 30 minutes, 5 days a week
- Get enough sleep to reduce cortisol stress levels
FAQ
Can I stop my medication if my readings improve?
Never do this without consulting your doctor. The improvement is a result of the medication's effectiveness, and suddenly stopping could lead to a severe relapse.
How do I know my blood pressure is high if there are no symptoms?
This is why high blood pressure is called the "silent killer." The only sure way to know is to measure it with an accurate device at home or at the clinic.
Close follow-up for your condition
Book with an internal medicine consultant for a full assessment and a follow-up plan built around you.
