SILVERDALE MEDICAL CENTRE
LONG TERM
CONDITIONS LEAFLET
Some important information to help you manage your condition
Please contact us on: 0116 366 2020
www.silverdalemedicalcentre.co.uk
Long term conditions such as Diabetes, COPD, Asthma, Heart Failure and Stroke can affect many aspects of your life.
However, there are some simple tips and techniques to help reduce its impact.
Self-care
Self-Management is a person–centered approach in which the person with the condition takes ownership over their life and conditions. It is not a specific treatment or service and it is not available in a single place. Self-Management is about you working together with the appropriate people and services to deal with all the implications that your condition brings and to live your life well.
Research shows that people with long-term conditions who take more control of their health feel more able to cope with their health problem, have better pain management, fewer flare ups and more energy.
Self-management UKis the leading charity in self-management support for people living with long-term health conditions.
http://www.selfmanagementuk.org/contact-us
Take your medication
It's important to take your medication as prescribed, even if you start to feel better. Continuous medication can help prevent flare-ups. If you have questions or concerns about the medication you're taking or side effects, talk to your pharmacist.
Regular reviews
A good relationship with the medical team allows you to easily discuss your symptoms or concerns. The more the team knows, the more they can help you.
Regular reviews with your GP may also mean that any complications are spotted early.
Keeping well
Some patients with a long-term condition are encouraged to get a yearly flu jab each autumn to protect themselves against the flu virus. Patients are also recommended to get an anti-pneumococcal vaccination, a one-off injection that protects against serious infection caused by a pneumococcal bacteria.
Exercise
Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetesand cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. Whatever your age, there's strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and even happier life.
Leicester City Council’s active lifestyle scheme gives people with medical conditions the opportunity to exercise under the guidance of qualified exercise professionals. The scheme is available for referral by GP practices and there is no cost for the referral. Ask your doctor for information on how to enrol.
Smoking
Half of all long-term smokers die early from smoking-related diseases, including heart disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis. It’s never too late to benefit from stopping. Quitting not only adds years to your life, but life to your years and will save you a huge amount of money.
Quit 51 is a local NHS Service that helps our patients who want to stop smoking, for an appointment please call them directly on 0800 622 6968
Other information to help you is available: www.smokefree.nhs.uk or call 0800 0224 332 to speak to an advisor 7 days a week 7am-11pm
Healthy Eating
When it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions. But achieving that balance in modern life can be tricky. After a long day, it can be tempting to grab the first ready meal on the supermarket shelf, which is OK occasionally. But the nutritional labels on these foods show that many ready meals contain high levels of fat, added sugar and salt. If you eat ready meals too often, they'll upset the balance in your diet.
You can get more information about your health and healthy eating at www.nhs.uk
Alcohol
Cutting down on alcohol will bring great rewards. Not only will it mean a reduced risk to your health, but you could look better, feel better and have more time and money to spend on doing other things.
If you drink at all, cutting back on alcohol can help your general well-being. Once you start cutting back, you'll probably notice the benefits quite quickly:
· Feeling better in the mornings
· Having more energy and feeling less tired during the day
· Your skin may start to look better
On top of this, too much alcohol can really pile on the pounds. If you drink 10 pints a week, you could be taking on more than 120,000 calories a year. And there are more calories in a single measure of spirits than in the same volume of single cream.
Keeping fit and healthy can be a challenge if you have a long term condition, but small changes can make a big difference to your wellbeing.
To find out more about the support available, visit:
www.westleicestershire.nhs.uk/self-help-groups
www.nhs.uk/livewell
www.nhs24.com/selfhelpguide
www.patient.co.uk
www.nhs.uk
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Author – C.Roberts