Your Multiple Chronic Conditions Need a Doctor Who Sees the Full Picture

As you get older, you’ll notice one thing above many others: your body will start to need more attention.

This is especially true when it comes to chronic conditions. About 129 million people in the United States have at least one chronic condition, such as heart disease, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure; 42% of adults have 2 or more conditions, and 12% have at least 5. 

Managing multiple conditions like this requires more than just treating symptoms. You need a doctor who can see the whole picture of your health and coordinate care to keep you as healthy as possible.

This is exactly what we do with our chronic disease management program at Primora Primary Care. Here’s why this is important.

Why the full picture matters

If you have multiple chronic conditions, you can’t treat them independently of each other. These diseases tend to overlap, which increases the risk of complications. For example, arthritis can limit your mobility, which can make it more difficult to manage your weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure. High blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, which in turn increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

If you don’t coordinate treatment of multiple conditions, you might be getting conflicting advice from various specialists. You may also take multiple medications that interact negatively, and you could end up with avoidable complications that cause a hospital stay. 

When you have a single doctor looking at everything, your overall health will improve.

What we do

Our chronic disease management program at Primora begins with a comprehensive health assessment that includes your medical history, current conditions and medications, lifestyle habits, and your health goals. 

We’ll keep a centralized record of your health; from this central point, we can communicate with specialists as needed. We’ll also manage all your medications and adjust dosages as necessary.

Our program also includes regular lab work and screenings to monitor your current conditions and check for any new potential health issues. For example, if you have diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), we’ll keep an eye on your kidney function because those issues can eventually cause kidney problems as well.

We’ll also work with you to develop healthy lifestyle habits and a healthy diet. Nutrition and exercise are some of the biggest building blocks of a healthy lifestyle that can reduce your risk of complications from your chronic conditions.

If you’re struggling to keep tabs on multiple chronic conditions, our team at Primora Primary Care is here to lighten your load. To schedule an appointment, call our Bridgeville office or pick your own time with our online scheduling tool.