Treating Your Chronic Disease

Treating Your Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases can be inconvenient, but ignoring the symptoms may cause big health problems. Dr. Deana Al-Khateeb of Ridgeview chronic diseaseInternal Medicine in Woodbridge, VA, offers a few tips that will help you stay healthy despite your disease.

Know your numbers

When you have diabetes, checking your blood glucose level and taking appropriate steps to decrease or increase your level is an important aspect of controlling the disease. When you visit our Dr. Al-Khateeb's Woodbridge office, ask about your ideal blood sugar levels and find out what you should do if your levels fall out of the ideal range.

Paying attention to numbers is also important if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Although you'll need a blood test to learn your cholesterol levels, blood pressure monitors are readily available in drug stores. If you notice problems with your blood pressure or glucose levels, it's important to call Dr. Al-Khateeb to report the issues.

Embrace a healthy lifestyle

No matter what type of chronic disease you have, a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid unpleasant consequences of your disease. A healthy diet, regular exercise and avoidance of recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol can help you remain in control of your condition.

Set goals

Goal-setting will help you ensure that you follow through on your intentions to eat better or exercise more. When you set your goal, be as detailed as possible. Although "I'm going to eat better" is a good start, think about exactly what you'll do to eat better. Will you stock up on fresh vegetables for snacks, buy a new cookbook with healthy recipes or stay away from fast food?

Take your medicine

Most chronic diseases don't go away on their own, unfortunately, but they can get worse if you don't take the medications designed to control them. Skipping medications can be particularly dangerous if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma. Although you may feel perfectly fine when you decide to go without your medication, failing to take the drugs as recommended can cause problems that could have been easily prevented.

Following these tips, and visiting your Woodbridge, VA, internal medicine specialist, Dr. Al-Khateeb, regularly, can help you avoid potentially unpleasant consequences of chronic diseases. Call her at Ridgeview Internal Medicine at (703) 494-4116 to schedule your next appointment.


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