Chronic Disease Management

Have you lived with an ongoing medical condition that’s lasted over a year? If so, you may have a chronic disease. Chronic diseases affect 50% of adults in the United States, and more than half of them live with at least one chronic illness. Pannaben Nangha, MD, and the team at Mansfield Primary Care Doctors diagnose and treat chronic diseases at their practice in Mansfield, Texas. For expert chronic disease management, call the office or request an appointment online today. 

What are chronic diseases?

There’s some debate among medical professionals regarding how long someone must have an ongoing condition for it to be a chronic disease. Their figures range from three months to one year. 

There are, however, some key characteristics that most agree on. Typically, there’s no way to vaccinate against chronic disease and no cure once you have one. 

However, they are largely preventable if you make sensible life choices and you can treat the symptoms to maintain a high quality of life.

Mansfield Primary Care Doctors takes a comprehensive approach when managing chronic illness, using screenings, checkups, personalized treatment plans, and patient education to help make the condition easier to live with.

What are common chronic diseases?

Many common conditions are also chronic diseases. They include:

• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Heart disease
• Depression
• Arthritis
• Crohn’s disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• HIV/AIDS

Regardless of your condition, your Mansfield Primary Care Doctors provider creates a comprehensive care plan to deal with your symptoms.

What causes chronic disease?

Many chronic diseases result from:

• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• An unhealthy diet
• Lack of exercise

Other causes include genetics and your health history, both past and current.

During annual wellness checks, your provider discusses your lifestyle with you to determine whether there’s anything you should change to improve your health and well-being.

How do you treat chronic disease?

Chronic disease treatment varies depending on what condition you have, the severity of your symptoms, and your general health status. 

Mansfield Primary Care Doctors takes a conservative, evidence-based approach to treatment and uses a combination of medicine, lifestyle changes, and complementary therapies.

How can I help prevent chronic disease?

Changing your behaviors often helps prevent chronic diseases from developing altogether. Lifestyle changes you can make include:

• Following a regular exercise regimen
• Getting a good night’s sleep
• Avoiding alcohol or limiting intake
• Following a healthy, balanced diet
• Scheduling regular health screenings
• Being aware of your family medical history

Your provider at Mansfield Primary Care Doctors identifies if you’re at risk of developing a chronic disease and treats any you may already have. 

For chronic disease management when you need it, call Mansfield Primary Care Doctors to make an appointment or request an appointment online today.