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This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
Coping With Chronic Illness: What Goes Wrong
The symptoms range from mild nuisances to crippling pain. Even if these less-than-pleasant reminders recede, the underlying conditions don't. Why? Because they're chronic, which means they cannot be cured. And they strike one in 10 Americans. Despite the incurable nature of chronic conditions, proper self-management can help ease associated symptoms and prevent complications. Why, then, do so many chronic conditions go uncontrolled?
"People tend to deny they have a chronic illness," says Kate Lorig, DrPH, RN, professor of medicine at Stanford University. And no wonder. Oftentimes, along with the diagnosis of a chronic condition, shocking in and of itself, comes the mandate to make several significant lifestyle changes -- immediately. Such news can overwhelm patients. Hence, this reaction: "Some people figure, 'I'm going to continue to do everything I did before,'" Lorig tells WebMD. Or they pick and choose elements of the regimen their doctors prescribe.
Common Mistakes in Self-Management
Experts on prevalent chronic conditions share with WebMD common self-management mistakes that patients make.
Asthma
Tolerating less-than-optimal control happens all too frequently among people with asthma. "They accept discomfort and activity limitation rather than pushing their doctors for better control," says Norman Edelman, MD, dean of Stony Brook University's School of Medicine.
Improper use of inhaled asthma medication also ranks high on the list of asthma self-management mistakes. "Studies suggest that only about one-third of patients use them [inhalers] improperly," Edelman tells WebMD. This includes improper timing, or they may administer the medicine incorrectly. To help avoid these scenarios, Edelman urges patients to receive instruction from a qualified person on how to use inhalers before taking them home.
Many patients don't realize that once their asthma is under control they can work with their health care provider to possible reduce the need for certain drugs they take to get the disease under control.
Inadequate environmental control of allergens is another common faux pas. "Patients often keep furry pets despite clear allergies, and allow smoking in their homes, although smoking is a major irritant of airways," Edelman says.
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