Health

How to Live Well Despite Having a Chronic Disease

Discovering you have a chronic disease is devastating. Living with it is even more challenging. But then, the earlier you come to terms with your health condition, the better. If a chronic disease is appropriately managed, you can lead a normal life and enjoy life like a ‘healthy’ person.

When you’re diagnosed with a chronic illness, your life changes, and you have to learn to live a new life. You have to learn to live the ‘new normal’ life. Below are tips to prepare and live a better life when you have a chronic health condition.

Seek help from family and friends

Turning to your family and friends for support is one way of managing a chronic disease. You’ll need emotional support from your loved ones once you’re diagnosed with a chronic illness. They are the pillars that will make your life easier in times of hardship and uncertainty.

Sometimes, support isn’t limited to family and friends. There are several online forums where you can find inspiration, especially from people living with similar life conditions. However, this shouldn’t be a substitute for real love and affection from family and friends.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead, when you have a health condition, can be overwhelming. In this regard, planning means seeking flexibility, and getting prepared to embrace the new life. Below are ways you can adjust to manage a chronic illness.

Get your medical supplies and equipment

If you’re living with a chronic illness, there are pretty high chances that you’re going to choose home-based care at some point.

Depending on the illness, there are medical equipment, support services, and medical supplies you’ll need to live a bearable life. All these are manageable and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

More often, your doctor/nurse will recommend the medication and other home-based care services, so you won’t have to gamble with your health. You will, however, be required to acquire certain essentials on your own.

Medical waste disposal containers, for example, are necessary to ensure safety in your home. All chronic illness patients should plan for a steady supply of biohazard containers that can be used safely with sharps, needles, IV catheters, etc. Click here to check the different types of medical waste disposal containers.

Prepare for inconveniences

When living a healthy life, we can face some challenges without necessarily feeling “inconvenienced.” Power outage, for example, is something we can learn to live with. This isn’t the case for someone living with a chronic condition. Finding a back-power supply, such as a generator or battery, can be a great and inexpensive solution.

You can also choose to relocate to a new home that’s connected to a reliable transport system. This will make it easier to access medical services in case of an emergency. Anything that will compromise the state of your health is an inconvenience, and you’ll need to find a way of fixing it.

Work on yourself

Working on yourself, or putting yourself first, isn’t selfish. It’s a necessary and sufficient condition for being human. It’s the first and often overlooked step to putting anybody else before your own needs.

Maybe you’re thinking, it’s already too late to get your life back on track, but that’s actually not true. We all face some kind of hardships but at different levels. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can affect the way you look at things. You can feel helpless and unmotivated to pursue any of your life goals. This is normal and a crucial step to coming to terms with the “new life.”

Finding a way to make your time productive or finding something to live for will go a long way in improving the quality of life. There are several ways you can work on yourself and find that inner peace and a sense of purpose.

Below are a few practical ways you can work on yourself, and embrace living with a chronic disease.

Eat well

A healthy diet is an effective way to keep your body strong and healthy. Besides eating a balanced diet, you’d want to follow a specific dietary schedule that will work best for your health and nutritional needs.

This article covers everything about eating healthy with a chronic illness. A great dietary schedule is fully personalized to include all your favorite meals while keeping it within the healthy limits. Drinking plenty of water is also part of healthy eating, which is crucial in keeping your body in shape.

Meditate

There are a lot of reasons as to why meditation is an essential aspect of happy living. Mindfulness is a common term used to describe the state of “living in the moment.”

Meditation is all about paying attention to our physical and mental conditions and letting things fall into place. It’s acknowledging the things we can’t change and embracing everything happening at that very moment.

You can practice meditating alone or with a friend. In the process, try to relax and let yourself sink in your own frequency. Seek to respond naturally to emotions that often hijack the mind, and identify those stressful thought patterns. This process doesn’t need to feel right every time.

Allow thoughts to flow naturally, and with practice, you can learn to catch those stories that work against your well-being. This way, you can mindfully let them go and live a free, stress-free life.

If you’re struggling with a chronic illness,meditation will help bring you to peace with the current situation. You can personalize the experience either inside or outside the practice of formal meditation.

Exercise

Working out is a critical ingredient to keeping healthy. Physical exercises won’t only improve your health, but also boost your immunity from certain diseases. If you’re already living with a chronic illness, your health can easily be compromised. Exercising regularly will give the body the much-needed support, so it can fight off other disease-causing agents.

Working out will also keep your body in shape. It will elevate your energy levels while keeping you happier and healthier by the day. If you’re the type who struggles with sleepless nights, you might want to give exercise a try. There are several low-intensity exercises to suit your unique needs.

Not all types of workouts will be your cup of tea. You should be aware of the kind of discomfort to expect during and after the workout, as well as tips for minimizing the pain. While all exercises are considered safe when done correctly, aerobics and body weight training could be your best bet.

Starting a routine exercise is easy, but keeping up with the schedule can be tough. To make things a bit easier, consider exercising with a close friend or family member. You might also want to ask your doctor to recommend a productive exercise program for your specific health condition.

To stay up for the task, choose those activities that are fun and engaging, such as occasional hikes instead of a strict morning jog. You can set realistic goals and celebrate small success along the way.

Learn new things or explore your hobbies

Learning new things isn’t only inspiring but quite adventurous. Imagine learning to play the piano or taking a new cooking class. All these may seem insignificant but are a great pastime for many people.

Learning new activities have been associated with high dopamine levels. The latter is an essential part of the brain’s reward system and has a massive impact on how we feel and respond to situations. All you need to do is figure out what makes you happy and build your hobbies from there.

Give back to society

Perhaps, something you should be doing already is giving back to the immediate society. Life has a way of making us feel good when we share the little we have with the less fortunate. It’s a sort of internal gratification that we often seek to satisfy along life’s journey.

Volunteering is one way of giving back to society. You can choose to volunteer in a nearby food bank or run your charity campaign. It doesn’t need to be anything complicated, provided you enjoy doing it, and people are benefiting from your efforts.

Another benefit of giving back is that you get to widen your network. You get to interact with other people, share your ideas, and even build healthy relationships. This gives you a base where you can find genuine people who understand your conditions, and ready to help in case you’re in need.

Conclusion

Living with a chronic condition isn’t a life sentence. Embracing the right mentality, getting ready in advance, and working on yourself is all you need to live the “new normal life.”

If you’re going to implement all these tips, you’ll have an easy time accepting your health condition. You’ll proceed to conquer all the life challenges, live a happy life, and even help others along the way.

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP