Chronic Disease Management
Chronic diseases affect nearly 1 in 2 U.S. adults. If you are one of them, learning how to address problems and make informed decisions about your health can help you live a healthier life.
Chronic Disease Management
Chronic diseases affect nearly 1 in 2 US adults. If you are one of them, learning how to address problems and make informed decisions about your health can help you live a healthier life.
What Is A Chronic Disease?
Chronic diseases are health conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both, as defined by the CDC.
Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, are the leading cause of death in the United States. However, early diagnosis and proper treatment could help alleviate the burden of your disease, improve your day-to-day quality of life, and in some cases, depending on the specific disease, reverse your condition and prevent future health problems.
Here are common chronic diseases that we can help manage at South Pointe Healthcare:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Chronic Lung Disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Chronic Pain
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Coronary Heart Disease, or Ischemic Heart Disease
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Dementia
- Epilepsy
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart Disease
- Hepatitis
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- HIV/AIDS
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypertension
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Lyme Disease
- Lupus
- Mental Health Diagnosis (such as anxiety and depression)
- Osteoporosis
- Obesity
- Stroke
Managing A Chronic Disease With A Primary Care Provider
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- Screening: It’s important to talk with your medical provider about the potential for any chronic health conditions. While more than 34 million people in the US have diabetes, one in four of them don’t even know they have it, according to the CDC. More than 88 million adults (1 in 3) have prediabetes, and 90% don’t know they have it. The sooner proper testing for a chronic disease happens, the sooner you can begin treatment.
- Properly manage: Once diagnosed with a chronic health condition, such as hypertension, it involves managing your treatment. This includes regular check-ups, prescribing and managing medications, dealing with side effects of the health issue, and treating other health issues as well. South Pointe Healthcare offers virtual appointments, also known as telehealth appointments, so you can meet with your healthcare provider right from your phone, computer, or tablet for certain appointments.
- Manage multiple health conditions: While 6 out of 10 US adults have a chronic disease, the CDC reports that 4 out of 10 adults are dealing with two chronic diseases or more. For example, approximately 3 in 4 people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. Our healthcare team can help you navigate the stress of dealing with multiple health issues and be sure each condition is properly addressed.
- Prevent further health issues: Unfortunately, having a chronic health issue, such as obesity, could lead to additional diseases. For example, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Adults with diabetes are 2 to 3 times as likely to die of heart disease or have a stroke as people who do not have diabetes. We can help identify risk factors and work on prevention of future health issues.
- Lowering healthcare costs: The cost of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are expensive. In fact, 90% of the $3.8 billion in annual health care costs are for people with chronic and mental health issues, according to the CDC.A primary care provider, also known as a PCP, can help reduce your healthcare costs when dealing with a chronic disease. Your healthcare provider can help you avoid unnecessary tests or procedures. Managing the disease better can help reduce the high costs of emergency room visits, too. Proper treatment can also reduce the risk of developing further complications and additional health issues down the road.
- Patient education: Once diagnosed with a chronic health condition, it could be overwhelming. It’s important to understand the condition and what you can do daily to help. Our providers can help you understand the diagnosis and how to manage any side effects that can come with it, such as low energy, fatigue, or difficulty sleeping.We can make a game plan to give the patient the tools and resources they need on a daily basis to help manage the disease, including diet choices, appropriate use of medications, learning how to check your blood pressure, track your weight or keeping track of symptoms.
Risk Factors
Our healthcare team can provide screening to identify various risk factors that could lead to one or more chronic health conditions.
The CDC lists tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, poor nutrition (such as diets low in fruits or vegetables and high in sodium and saturated fats), lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol use as risk behaviors that could lead to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
We can also provide information on prevention for chronic diseases as well.
If you live in Boulder county and are looking for a local primary care physician, please do not hesitate to contact us today at (303) 665-8444.
FAQ's
Although chronic diseases can be treated and reduced in severity, they generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear.
Clinic Hours
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
CLOSED
CLOSED
Contact Info
Phone
(303) 665-8444
Fax
(303) 665-8448
Address
150 Old Laramie Trail E #120Lafayette, CO 80026
Take Charge Of Your Health
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