Living with a chronic condition - Delaware Medicaid Partners

If you have a chronic condition, such as asthma, congestive heart failure, COPD, diabetes or high blood pressure — or if you are struggling with anxiety, depression or addiction — there are things you can do to stay as healthy as possible.

You should always take your medicine exactly the way your doctor tells you to. Plus:

Eat healthy foods
Exercise

Get enough sleep
Reduce stress

More helpful information about living with a chronic condition

Anxiety, Depression and Addiction

Let’s face it: life is stressful. Almost everyone deals with anxiety or depression at some point in their lives because of money or family problems, stress at work or school.

If you have a family history of mental health problems — or if you are dealing with a chronic health condition — your risk for anxiety, depression or addiction could be even greater. Your primary care team is here to help:

Teach you how to deal with feelings of anxiety or depression and recognize signs of addiction.
Prescribe medicine, if needed, to help you feel better.
Connect you with a mental health professional for therapy or other helpful treatment.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today to learn how to reduce your risk and manage anxiety, depression or addiction.

Helpful information on anxiety Helpful information on depression

Struggling with addiction? Call the Delaware Hope Line at
1-833-9-HOPEDE
(1-833-946-7333) or visit www.helpisherede.com.

Asthma

Asthma causes swelling and inflammation in the airways that lead to your lungs. When asthma flares up, the airways tighten and become narrower. This keeps air from passing through easily and makes it hard for you to breathe.

If you or your child has asthma, you know how scary it can be when you can’t catch your breath.
Symptoms of asthma include:

Wheezing — making a loud or soft whistling noise when you breathe in and out).
Coughing a lot.
Tightness in your chest.

Shortness of breath.
Trouble sleeping because of coughing or having a hard time breathing.
Quickly getting tired during exercise.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today
to learn how to reduce your risk and manage asthma.

More helpful information about asthma

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - COPD

COPD is a lung disease that makes you feel short of breath even when you do simple things like get dressed or fix a meal. It is caused by damage to your lungs over many years, usually caused by smoking.

COPD is often a mix of two diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Symptoms include a long-lasting cough, mucus that comes up when you cough and shortness of breath that gets worse when you exercise.

You can’t undo the damage to your lungs caused by COPD, but you can take steps to prevent more damage and feel better. Ways to manage COPD:

Medicines (inhalers) can help you breathe easier.
Pulmonary (lung) rehab can help you learn to manage your disease.

Oxygen may be prescribed.
Flu vaccines and pneumococcal shots are very important because people with COPD are more likely to get lung infections.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today
to learn how to reduce your risk and manage COPD.

More helpful information about COPD

Congestive Heart Failure

Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn’t pump as much blood as your body needs. Because your heart cannot pump well, your body tries to make up for it.

When your body holds on to salt and water, this increases the amount of blood in your bloodstream. Your heart beats faster and your heart may get bigger. Fluid starts to build up in your body and you may begin feeling weak and out of breath. Symptoms include:

Feeling tired easily.
Shortness of breath.
Swelling, especially in your legs, ankles and feet.

Weight gain.
Cough or wheeze, especially when you lie down.
Feeling bloated or sick to your stomach.

Your primary care team or cardiologist (heart doctor) will talk to you about medicine and treatments for congestive heart failure. There are also things you can do to keep it from getting worse:

Eat less salt (sodium).
Exercise regularly (but not too hard).
Take rest breaks during the day.
Lose weight. Even a few pounds can make a difference.
Weigh yourself at the same time every day. Call your primary care team if you notice sudden changes in your weight or ability to exercise, or if you notice other symptoms.

Limit alcohol.
Ask your primary care team about a cardiac rehabilitation program to build healthy habits.
Talk to your primary care team before you take any new medicine, including vitamins and herbs. Some may make your heart failure worse.
Stop smoking.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today to learn how
to reduce your risk and manage congestive heart failure.

More helpful information about congestive heart failure

Diabetes

Diabetes is when your blood glucose, or blood sugar, is too high. It is caused by a defect in the way your body makes or uses insulin.

Type 1 diabetes means your body doesn’t make its own insulin. This type is diagnosed most often in children and teens. The most common type of diabetes diagnosed in adults — Type 2 — is when your body doesn’t use insulin well. Symptoms usually include extreme thirst or hunger, losing weight without trying, going to the bathroom a lot, blurred vision and being very tired throughout the day. Gestational diabetes can occur when you are pregnant and usually goes away after the baby is born.

Diabetes is a serious medical condition. Left untreated, it can lead to:

Dental (teeth and gum) disease.
Eye problems.
Foot problems.
Heart disease.

Kidney failure.
Nerve damage.
Stroke

If any of these apply to you, you may be at risk for Type 2 diabetes:

Are over age 45.
Are overweight.
Have a family history of Type 2 diabetes.

Exercise fewer than three times a week.
Had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more.

It’s important to watch your weight, make healthy food choices and stay active.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today to
learn how to reduce your risk and manage diabetes.

More helpful information about diabetes

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can lead to serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and vision loss.

Normal blood pressure is generally considered less than 130/80. Ask your primary care team what number is right for you.

Keep all medical appointments, even when you feel good.
Take all medications exactly as your doctor prescribes.
Eat healthy foods without too much sodium (salt). This means cut down on fast food, restaurant meals, processed and canned foods. Fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish are best.
Get moving. Take a walk with friends. Choose the stairs instead of an elevator. Try a free online exercise routine.

High blood pressure is at or above 140/90.

Watch your weight. A registered dietician can help you create healthy meal plans.
If you smoke, quit!
Reduce stress.
Take advantage of free blood pressure screenings and see your primary care team if your numbers are above normal.

Call your ChristianaCare primary care team today to learn
how to reduce your risk and manage high blood pressure.

More helpful information about high blood pressure

Are you at risk for cancer, heart disease or other health problems?

Family medical history and your own lifestyle choices — things like the foods you eat, how much you exercise or if you smoke — can put you at higher risk for some health problems. Knowing your risk helps you make better decisions to stay as healthy as possible. Just answer a few questions — it only takes about 5 minutes. The answers will help you and your primary care team create a plan to take control of your good health.

Click here for free online risk assessments