How to handle chronic ailments?

Coping with long-term ailments can be an exhausting daily struggle. Perhaps you experience some “good days” here and there, but finding permanent relief from these chronic disorders seems like an impossibility.

Common chronic ailments include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, and arthritis. According to the CDC, chronic diseases and conditions are among the most widespread, costly, and preventable of all medical conditions.

• As of 2012, about half of all adults—117 million people—had one or more chronic health conditions. One of four adults had two or more chronic health conditions.¹
• Seven of the top 10 causes of death in 2010 were chronic diseases. Two of these chronic diseases—heart disease and cancer—together accounted for nearly 48% of all deaths.²

• Out of the 35 million people who died from chronic disease in 2005, half were under 70 and half were women.

Decreasing your risk of chronic disease

Certain behaviors may be putting you at higher risk for developing chronic medical conditions. These unhealthy behaviors cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases. However, these behaviors can easily be avoided, giving you a much greater chance of remaining healthy and well.

A few simple lifestyle changes can help you dramatically decrease your risk of developing a chronic ailment, and can also lessen severity of existing ailments:

• Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol
• Maintaining a healthy weight (obesity can cause and exacerbate chronic illnesses)
• Adopting a diet of more natural foods, fruits and vegetables
• Incorporating aerobic exercise and physical activity

Is there a lasting solution for chronic ailments?

In the video below, Sadhguru discusses how chronic ailments represent internal problems created by our own bodies. Chronic Illnesses like diabetes or hypertension indicate a fundamental level of misalignment within the body system or a severe imbalance.

Bringing about a certain balance in the system, he explains, can provide a solution from within, stopping chronic ailments at their source.