Chronic Care

Chronic care refers to medical treatment for a pre-existing or long-term illness, as opposed to acute care, which addresses a short-term illness or a severe illness of brief duration. A chronic or long-term illness means having to adjust to the demands of the illness and the therapy used to treat the condition. There may be additional stresses since chronic illness might change how you live, see yourself and relate to others.

Chronic diseases may be inherited, but many environmental and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol consumption, significantly increase the risk. These factors are reasonably under the control of an informed individual, but there are frequently other factors, such as poverty, malnutrition during pregnancy and infancy, genetic predisposition, and ageing, over which the individual has little or no control. Chronic diseases affect people of all ages, but the elderly have a greater chance of developing chronic diseases that may lead to disability.

Common chronic illnesses include:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Chron's Disease
• Chronic Bronchitis
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Emphysema
• Heart Disease
• Hypertension
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Thyroid disease
• Ulcerative Colitis

Besides early diagnosis, management and harm reduction, chronic care aims to prevent illness and promote healthy behaviour. At the primary health care level, chronic care is based on prevention by educating people about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. We have years of experience in diagnosing and managing chronic conditions, from young to elderly patients.