There are many forms of long term conditions, below are some of the common types of conditions. If you are learning to live to with any of these there is support available. The practice team are there to support you.
Asthma
Asthma is a common condition that causes coughing, wheezing, tightness of the chest and breathlessness. Many people with asthma who take the appropriate treatment can live normal lives, but left untreated, asthma can cause permanent damage to the airways
Symptoms of asthma
The usual symptoms of asthma are:
coughing
wheezing
shortness of breath
tightness in the chest.
Not everyone will get all of these symptoms. Some people experience them from time to time; a few people may experience these symptoms all the time.
Treatment of asthma
There isn't a cure for asthma. However, treatments are available to help manage your symptoms. Your treatment plan will be individual to you, combining medicines and asthma management in a way that works best for you
Living with asthma
Medicines are only part of your treatment for asthma. You will also need to deal with the things that make it worse. Keep a diary to record anything that triggers your asthma - this can help you to discover a pattern. Using a peak flow meter to monitor your lung function can also help. If you have repeatedly low readings in a certain situation (for example, at the end of a working day, after exercise or after contact with an animal) this may indicate the trigger.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/
https://www.asthma.org.uk/
Cancer
One in three people will be affected by cancer at some stage in their life. There are many different types of cancer and this page doesn't cover them all, but the general information will help you to access further information and support. if you are worried about cancer please do not hesitiate to contact us.
https://breastcancernow.org/
https://www.macmillan.org.uk
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
https://prostatecanceruk.org/
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a preventable disease that was responsible for the deaths of 88,000 people in the UK in 2008 (British Heart Foundation CHD Statistics 2010). In all, 191,00 died from heart and circulatory disease in the UK. Death rates are highest in Scotland and North of England and lowest in the South of England. CHD is the biggest killer in the country.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-heart-disease/
https://www.bhf.org.uk/
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease. The main symptom of COPD is an inability to breathe in and out properly. This is also referred to as airflow obstruction.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/
Diabetes
Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as diabetes mellitus. There are two types of diabetes - type 1 and type 2.
According to the charity Diabetes UK, more than two million people in the UK have the condition and up to 750,000 more are believed to have it without realising they do.
More than three-quarters of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes mellitus. This used to be known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or maturity-onset diabetes mellitus. The number of people with type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing as it commoner in the overweight and obese, which is itself a growing problem.
The remainder have type 1 diabetes mellitus, which used to be known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
What's the treatment for diabetes?
It's recognised that the sooner the blood sugar levels are brought under control, the better the long term prospects of preventing damage. Lifestyle advice about diet, weight management and regular activity is the first step.
Type 1 diabetes will require immediate insulin therapy
Type 2 diabetes will first be managed with a drug called Metformin, if lifestyle changes alone aren't effective.
There are now several other drugs used in type 2 diabetes, although eventually some type 2 diabetics will need insulin therapy as it's a progressive disease
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetes/
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting 8.5 million people in the UK. It develops gradually over time, causing joints to become stiff and painful. It can affect any joint but commonly affects the hands, knees, hips, feet and spine.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/
https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/osteoarthritis
Living with Pain
The NHS website contains lots of useful information, tips and advice on living with chronic pain.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/10-ways-to-ease-pain/
Help from your GP and use of NHS services dedicated to pain management can help make sufferers more independant, reduce the severity of pain and assist in day to day with coping with what can be a debilitating condition.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-nhs-help-for-your-pain/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/ways-to-manage-chronic-pain/
Stroke
A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
Like all organs, the brain needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to brain damage and possibly death.
Strokes are a medical emergency and prompt treatment is essential because the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.
The NHS Stroke Act FAST pages offer a great deal of information about stroke, including how to recognise the signs, some real stories of stroke sufferers and advice on how to live your life after a stroke.
Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or 'mini-stroke', is caused by a temporary fall in the blood supply to part of the brain, leading to a lack of oxygen to the brain. This can cause symptoms that are similar to a stroke, although they don’t last as long. A TIA lasts only a few minutes and is usually resolved within 24 hours
As TIAs are serious, it is important that they are always investigated so that appropriate treatment can be given quickly. With treatment, the risk of a further TIA or a full stroke can be greatly reduced.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/transient-ischaemic-attack-tia/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/
https://www.stroke.org.uk/
