Long Term Conditions

If you are an Asthma sufferer, remember to make an appointment for your GP to check your condition and medication on an annual basis.

Common triggers include house dust mites, animal fur, pollen, tobacco smoke, cold air and chest infections.

When the bronchi are irritated, they become narrow and the muscles around them tighten, which can increase the production of sticky mucus, or phlegm. This makes it difficult to breathe and causes wheezing and coughing, and it may make your chest feel tight.

The severity of the symptoms of asthma differs from person to person, from mild to severe. The narrowing of the airways is usually reversible – occurring naturally, or through the use of medicines. However, for some people with chronic (long-lasting) asthma, the inflammation may lead to an irreversible obstruction of the airways.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/Pages/Introduction.aspx

In the UK, over 1.1m children have asthma. Asthma in children is more common among boys than girls. Children who develop asthma at a very young age are more likely to 'grow out' of the condition as they get older.

During the teenage years, the symptoms of asthma will disappear in approximately three-quarters of all children with the condition. However, asthma can return in adulthood. If the childhood symptoms of asthma are moderate to severe, it is more likely that the condition will return later in life..

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma-in-children/Pages/Introduction.aspx

(Courtesy of NHS Choices)

If you suffer from either coronary heart disease or congenital heart disease, your GP will need to monitor your condition along with any medication that you may be taking.  Remember to book an appointment to see your GP annually.

Coronary heart disease is the UK's biggest killer, with one in every four men and one in every six women dying from the disease. In the UK, approximately 300,000 people have a heart attack each year.

Angina affects about one in 50 people, and in the UK there are an estimated 1.2 million people with the condition. It affects men more than women, and your chances of getting it increase as you get older.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Congenital heart disease is a general term that is used to refer to a series of birth defects that affect the heart.

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Congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth defect, with six out of every 1,000 babies being born with the condition.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Congenital-heart-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

<(Courtesy of NHS Choices)

Cancer is a term that is used to refer to a number of conditions where the body's cells begin to grow and reproduce in an uncontrollable way. This rapid growth of cancerous cells is known as a malignant tumour. These cells can then invade and destroy healthy tissue, including organs.

Cancer sometimes begins in one part of the body before spreading to other parts. This process is known as metastatis.

How common is cancer?

Cancer is a common condition and is a serious health problem, both in the UK and across the world. It is estimated that 7.6 million people in the world died of cancer in 2007. In the UK, cancer is responsible for 126,000 deaths per year. One in four people die from cancer.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer/Pages/Introduction.aspx

(Courtesy of NHS Choices)

Your GP will need to monitor your condition on an annual basis so please make sure that you make an appointment.  Depression sufferers can download and complete a Patient Health Questionnaire ready for the appointment by clicking here

Mental health problems can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or social background. Without care and treatment, mental health problems can have a serious effect on the individual and those around him or her. Every year more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals, and over 4,000 people commit suicide.

Mental health disorders take many different forms and affect people in different ways. Schizophrenia, depression and personality disorders are all types of mental health problem. Diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia generally develop in old age, whereas eating disorders are more common in young people.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Mental-health/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Many people underestimate the impact mental health conditions can have on individuals, society and the economy as a whole. At any given time, one person in six is experiencing anxiety or depression, and mental illness accounts for a third of all illnesses in the UK.

The total cost to England of mental health conditions is approximately £77 billion a year, due to loss of earnings and associated treatment and welfare costs. But the cost to an individual can be a lot greater; left untreated, mental health conditions can result in unemployment, homelessness, the break-up of families and suicide.

(Courtesy of NHS Choices)

If you suffer with diabetes, make sure that you make an appointment with your GP to assess your health and review your medication on an annual basis.

Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as diabetes mellitus.

In the UK, diabetes affects approximately 2.3 million people, and it's thought there are at least half a million more people who have the condition but are not aware of it.

Normally, the amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves any glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy.

However, in those with diabetes, the body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there is either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or because the insulin that is there does not work properly.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Diabetes/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Type 2 diabetes occurs when not enough insulin is produced by the body for it to function properly, or when the body’s cells do not react to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the body does not produce any insulin at all. Around 95% of all people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Diabetes-type2/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Courtesy of NHS Choices)