Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, pain syndromes, and thyroid disease can cause severe long-term health problems. At Rios Healthcare Associates in Houston, Texas, Tomas Rios, MD, Nicolin Neal, and the team offer chronic disease management to patients who live with these and other life-changing illnesses. To discover for yourself how chronic disease management can reduce pain and help you live a better life, call Rios Healthcare Associates today or book an appointment using the online form.

What is chronic disease management?

Chronic disease management helps people with long-term health problems (those lasting more than three months) cope more successfully day-to-day.

Many conditions persist for years before getting better or may be incurable. Ongoing support from the compassionate Rios Healthcare Associates team can make a significant difference to your quality of life when you have disorders such as:

• Heart disease
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
• Asthma
• Thyroid disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Depression or anxiety
• Cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Fibromyalgia

These and many other chronic diseases result in ongoing symptoms that limit your ability to stay active, cause considerable pain and mental distress, and cause problems like poor sleep quality.

Chronic disease management helps enormously with these issues — it can also assist you when you have chronic conditions like high cholesterol or hypertension (high blood pressure) that cause no symptoms until they reach an advanced stage.

What does chronic disease management involve?

Each Rios Healthcare Associates patient with a long-term health condition receives a personalized chronic disease management plan tailored to their unique needs. The team works closely with your specialist if you have one (for example, you might see a cardiologist for heart disease) to ensure you receive the best possible everyday care.

Because your treatment plan is personalized, the contents vary. Some common themes include:

Routine testing

Diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol require frequent tests to ensure you manage your disorder properly. Depending on your condition, routine tests could consist of blood, urine, stool, and other samples. Rios Healthcare Associates offers onsite lab testing for patient convenience.  

Lifestyle changes

Promoting better all-around health is often essential to reduce symptom severity when you have a chronic disease. Losing weight, reducing stress, reducing alcohol consumption, improving your diet, and stopping smoking are just some changes that could improve your health.

Symptom management

Treatments for chronic diseases also vary depending on your condition. For example, you might require pain medicines and physical therapy for a musculoskeletal condition like arthritis, while hormonal disorders (including diabetes) benefit from supplementary hormones.

Why should I sign up for chronic disease management services?

Chronic disease management has considerable benefits. It can prevent complications, slow down your condition’s progression, control your pain and other symptoms, and help you live a longer, more rewarding life.

To discover how chronic disease management can benefit you, call Rios Healthcare Associates today or book an appointment online.