The Importance of Managing Existing Health Conditions

Being diagnosed with a long-term disease or health condition is devastating. Whether minor or major, it essentially changes some aspect of your life. Having an existing health condition is also psychologically and financially draining. While there may not be a cure, failure to properly manage your situation could have grave consequences. 

Neglecting Your Health

When dealing with existing medical conditions, your health needs to be a priority. All too often, people become overwhelmed by the doctor’s appointments, medications, therapies, lifestyle changes, and costs that they let their health fall by the wayside. Living this way, however, can lead to more problems than it’s worth. Those who neglect their health might experience: 

• Worsening Health – One of the most apparent consequences of neglecting your health is your problem gets worse. For example, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes but fail to take your medication or utilize other management practices, your blood sugar levels will get out of control. You could end up with amputations or in a diabetic coma. 
• Invasive Treatments – The worse your condition is, the more invasive the treatment options become. Let’s say you have high cholesterol and overlook the importance of diet and exercise. Instead of taking medication and getting back on track, you’ll need to have surgery to prevent a heart attack, stroke, or death. 

• Higher Costs – More extensive or invasive treatments ultimately mean more money. While a prescription may set you back a few bucks, having to see a specialist or undergo surgery is going to cost you more. Depending on the type of insurance you have, these treatment options may not be covered, meaning you’d have to pay for the rest. 
• Poor Quality of Life – When you don’t take care of your existing health conditions, your life quality is weakened. As time goes on, you’ll start to feel less like yourself. Your physical and emotional well-being starts to decline, and doing things you need and want to do fall by the wayside. Your personal and professional life gets out of control, and life becomes stressful. 

Practical Health Management Solutions

As you can see, failing to manage your existing health conditions could lead to a downward spiral of events. Though keeping things intact may feel like a chore, there are several things you can do to make it more manageable. 

• Keep Up With Appointments – When it comes to maintaining good health, your doctor is your partner. Through regular evaluation, they can make assessments on the best practices to enhance your overall well-being. From giving you health and wellness tips to prescribing medication, your doctor is your first line of defense. Therefore, you must schedule and keep all appointments. 
• Follow Medical Advice – Whether your doctor tells you to invest in the best hearing aids to improve your hearing loss or recommends that you cut back on sweets to lower your blood sugar levels, it’s for your own good. If you have questions about the medical advice provided or disagree entirely, you should ask questions or get a second opinion. Either way, the advice of a medical expert could save your life. So, don’t ignore what they have to say.
• Adopt Healthy Lifestyle Habits – Breaking bad habits like smoking, letting go of unhealthy but delicious foods, or getting at least an hour of exercise each day may require some effort. Still, it’s a lot better than the consequences listed above. Start eating a well-balanced meal, exercising, and getting at least 7 to 9 hours of rest each day to improve your health. In many cases, these practices can help to ease your symptoms and even resolve your existing condition.
• Use Health Monitoring Apps – One effective way to make health management more convenient and accessible is by utilizing health monitoring apps like Cardi Health. These apps provide a range of practical solutions for monitoring and managing various health conditions, including tracking vital signs, recording symptoms, and even providing personalized insights and recommendations. With features such as remote monitoring and data visualization, these apps empower individuals to take a proactive approach to their health and make informed decisions in collaboration with their healthcare providers.

You’d be surprised to learn how many people with existing health conditions fail to take care of themselves. Unfortunately, they end up suffering consequences ranging from worsening health to ruined personal and professional lives. The best thing you can do for yourself and your family is to do the work required to enhance your overall well-being.