Living with an illness is becoming more and more common. Long-term or incurable chronic illnesses can be devasting to deal with and often require a full lifestyle overhaul.
So, what can you do if you’ve recently been diagnosed with an illness you’ll have to handle at home – for example, a long-term fatigue illness? You probably already know that you’ll need to make changes – but what changes? Can what you do at home really have an impact on your health and happiness?
Yes, it can, and here’s how.
1. Eat A Balanced Diet – And Hydrate!
It will be no surprise to hear that what you eat has a huge impact on your health. If you’re suffering from a long-term illness, proper nutrition is more important than ever. Getting the right amount of daily nutrients as well as using portion control will help to manage your weight and keep you healthy.
Eating well will reduce your chances of developing other illnesses, like diabetes, heart disease, and so on.
Of course, staying properly hydrated every day is also crucial to your health! Sometimes we can take a more lax attitude to our nutrition, but this can have a serious impact on your health if you’re suffering from a health problem.
2. Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Certain lifestyle habits can increase our chances of certain diseases, like cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and more. On the other hand, some habits can increase our chances of living a full, healthy life.
To cultivate healthy lifestyle habits, here are some suggestions to consider:
- Quit smoking.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol (no more than 14 weekly units are recommended, and alcohol may interfere with any medication you’re taking)
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Don’t neglect your mental health.
- Take regular physical exercise (make sure you stay balanced here. Ask your doctor if you have an illness that prevents you from exercising, or if you aren’t sure how much exercise is too much).
- Maintain a healthy weight.
You might think of other unhealthy habits that could be making your illness worse. If so, you might want to consider tweaking your lifestyle, if that’s possible in your situation.
3. Keep a Well-Stocked Medical Cupboard
Last but certainly not least, you want to be well prepared for any medical emergencies. Setting aside a particular cupboard, drawer, or another area of your home just for medical supplies is a good idea, that way you’ll always be prepared for an emergency.
The supplies you’ll need will depend on your personal circumstances and your health problem. For example, home dialysis patients will need lots of dialysis equipment.
Sites like Sensoronics supply products like oxygen sensors, cables, hoses, cuffs, and more. Speak to your doctor about what sort of equipment you’ll need to keep in your home.
The Bottom Line
Write a list of ways to improve your lifestyle (diet, exercise, socializing, etc), as well as medical supplies that you’ll need. You can always tweak your routine later.