Chronic Illness Essays (Examples)

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Chronic Illness on the Family
ole of the Physician Assistant

The writer explains the impact of chronic illness on family dynamics from the viewpoint of both family and patient. The strategic role of the family's clinical Physician Assistant in problem resolution is noted. This is a paper with three sources.

Impact of Chronic Illness on Family Dynamics

Chronic illness impacts a family's dynamics in many profound ways, some obvious, and some not so obvious. In the book The Chronic Illness Experience: Embracing the Imperfect Life, the author reflects, "Getting sick for a lifetime is seldom a single, discrete event. The symptoms are more likely to come on gradually, altering your life in subtle ways that can often be explained away as a temporary aberration" (egister, 1999).

All types of families, and families in various stages, are affected by chronic illness. As a clinician, the Physician Assistant can play a strategic role in ameliorating and….

Chronic Illness Over Time
PAGES 2 WORDS 676

Health trajectory is the pattern of a person's health over time (Zangerle & Kingston, 2016). Health over time stems from numerus factors operational within a nested genetic, social, behavioral, environmental, biological, political, cultural, and financial contexts that change as an individual develops and grows. Nurses must understand the causes of change and course of change in health over time to better aid their patients in adapting to possible changes in the future. That is why managing the health of patients over time involves research not just in potential problems patients may face, but also in theories that can help facilitate a greater overall understanding.
One such article aimed to promote understanding of patient processes through self-management processes. "Three categories of self-management processes were identified: focusing on illness needs; activating resources; and living with a chronic illness. Healthcare providers can best facilitate self-management by coordinating self-management activities, recognizing that different self-management processes….

Living with chronic illness: A phenomenological study of the health effects of the patient-provider relationship' by Sylvia Fox and Catherine Chesla.
The relationship between patient and health care provider is important. There are a number of factors that have an effect on the relationship between patient and health care provider. Some of these factors include cultural as well as social changes, patient rights, informed consent, women's rights, gay's rights, and the pressures that are exerted on the healthcare system to understand the concerns of the patients (Herzlinger, 2004, p. 67). Some of the other factors that are important include giving an importance to the values of women. In these cases, it has been seen that increased input has been given to caring and nurturing involved in the traditional caretaking of women The main aim of the paper is to understand the relationship between health care provider and the patient. In….

Multiple Sclerosis
(Coping Strategies)

Multiple sclerosis is caused by the self triggered allergic reaction that scrubs away the myelin sheath that protects the nerve cells, creating plagues and fissures that cause problems with the normal functioning of the central nervous system. As with any chronic illness, being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis has a devastating effect on the lives of people. This degenerative nervous disorder alters the self-perception and self-identity of the individual and seriously compromises his/her relationship with the external world. Disease management is further complicated by the wide array of symptoms and their varying intensity. Symptoms may range from postural imbalance, tremor, weakness, incontinence, visual impairment to progressive decline in cognitive ability and serious disability. The diagnosis creates a stressful experience and coping with the disease particularly during the initial stages can be really frustrating. Let us discuss some important coping strategies for this debilitating disease.

Coping with Cognitive Decline (Psychotherapy)

Decline in….

Sexual health is not restricted to the mere physical -- genital function. Sexuality comprises different facets. At the basic, instinctual level, it is the feeling of maleness or femaleness; and, how this sexuality and personality impacts and is impacted by society. (Sipski, Alexander, & Rosen, 1996) Finally, it includes such things as the right to be a sexual person following neurological injury, the opportunity to have knowledge about sexual changes and to make informed choices about appropriate options. This work involves a review of the literature associated with female sexuality following injury to the spinal cord.
efore delving into the sexual ramifications, it bears recognizing the anatomical and functional features of the Spinal Cord. The spinal cord enables the brain to communicate with every physical facets of the body -- independent action, and reaction to stimuli. When a spinal cord injury occurs, this communication between the central and afferent nervous system….

Invisible Support from Family & Friends How might symptoms of memory loss, paranoia, and verbal and physical aggression be particularly hard for the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients?
These symptoms might be hard for the caregiver as he or she is human and they might take it personally especially when it comes to physical and verbal aggression. When the patient with Alzheimer's disease becomes aggressive towards the caregiver, the caregiver might feel overwhelmed, sad, and isolated. These feelings are normal as the situation the caregiver finds him or herself in is what is causing those feelings. Memory loss from the patient might result in the patient not recalling some of the basic things and this might frustrate the caregiver as he or she will have to keep repeating or reminding the patient. Naturally, the caregiver will get frustrated and they might lash out too. However, it is vital that the caregiver does himself….

However, he questions the research that has been done in this area. First, he wonders whether the exercise is a placebo effect based on the anticipation of improvement. The second question is the acceptability of this treatment. Many CFS patients actively avoid exercise and many healthcare providers in fact recommend rest at all costs rather than a concern of relapse. However, the positive aspect of the CBT and the exercise is that it has the patients question their fears. In both cases, there is a psychotherapeutic affect that may be beneficial.
The use of antidepressants is another approach that has been suggested and studied. However, the results on this have also been mixed. As Demitrack (1996, p. 282) states, "At the present time, it is unrealistic to present medication as a sole treatment for this disease." It may be that medications could work in the short-term and provide enough symptomatic….

Chronic disease is a growing problem in countries like the United States. Couple this with the high costs of healthcare and it makes a storm of problems for those seeking treatment and help with handling chronic disease. Common chronic diseases that become more and more prevalent each year are diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Diabetes is a notoriously expensive chronic illness to manage. Patients often experience complications from the disease like vision loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, and amputation (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), 2012). That is why diabetes must be managed and prevented.
Type II diabetes for example is often acquired through poor diet choices and leading a sedentary life (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), 2012). If people manage to identify and self-regulate these decisions and choose healthy alternatives and commit to more daily exercise, it can have a profound impact on the prevalence of chronic disease. There are various….

One aspect of a goal attainment program researched within the content of an article by Ng & sang, is group therapy work, where individuals are offered the opportunity to self-reflect through the group process to help assimilate "normal" behaviors and reasonable goals into their own hoped for future.
raditional psychiatric rehabilitation programs focus on 'problems' and 'negatives' of individuals and tend to ignore strengths and assets (Hagedorn, 1992). Unlike the traditional approach, this program uses a holistic and client-centered approach (Rogers, 1984) which helps individuals establish future directions in home and work resettlement. he Goal Attainment Program focused on the participants' future expected life roles and social functioning in relation to the environmental context (i.e. their 'participation level', according to the International Classification of Impairment, Disability and Handicap (ICIDH-2) of the World Health Organization). he program emphasized the needs and positive aspects of individuals (Rogers, 1984), as well as the….

It is also a population that often has limited resources and one that seeks to find others to help comfort and educate them. Modern technology has certainly improved both the diagnosis and treatment of the illness, but there are so many options that the patient is often left bewildered and frightened (Guadalupe).
A proactive and professional nursing approach to this illness takes Mishel's theory and uses it in four ways:

To combat ambiguity -- Patients are unaware of the progress and severity of their illness and often fill in with worst-case scenarios. Open and honest communication about that status of the illness will alleviate many concerns, or at least allow for uncoerced decision making.

To combat complexity -- Illness is complex and often based on statistical tables, not individual expressions. Using Michel, the nurse can simplify to the necessary degree both the illness and options.

To provide information -- More than anything, Michel….

"The IOM report recognized the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and urged that marijuana be made available to individual patients while research continued on the development of new drugs developed from marijuana" (Zeese).
Conclusion

In conclusion, there are two schools of thought on this issue. One view sees very little difference in terms of health implication between marijuana and cigarette smoking. However, there is some resistance to the idea that marijuana is as unhealthy or as dangerous as cigarettes. This had led to the notion that marijuana is less harmful to the user than tobacco. However, many reports and studies tend to stress that while the effects of each substance on the individual differ, in the long - term both have negative effects that should be emphasized. (Vlahov et al., 2004)

While there is a strong case for the benefits of marijuana in certain instances and for certain conditions, this should not….

(De Leon, 2010)
Finally, in recent years there has been a call for more stringent regulatory measured to be put in place in order to prevent this category of disease. Many experts refer to outdated laws and policies that are not successful in detecting and prevent problems along the entire food production process (Jessen). They also refer to restricted and inadequate legal tools to check the spread of the diseases. There is therefore a need not only to update present legislation but also for organizations and individuals to be become more aware of the need to prevent this type of disease from occurring.

eferences

De Leon D. ( 2010) Start at the Store: 7 Ways to Prevent Foodborne Illness. etrieved from http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/7ways.html

Definition of Foodborne disease. etrieved from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=25399Focus on Epidemiology. Houston Health (2001). etrieved from http://www.houstontx.gov/health/HoustonHealth/winter01.pdf

Foodborne diseases take heavy toll on public health. etrieved from http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=18&ved=0CDgQFjAHOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbioniche.com%2Fnewsroom_factsheet.cfm&ei=SJ7ITMX1LdDCswako7iPDg&usg=AFQjCNESQAvUohGiQZZN1L1TCFwwl-DYQ&sig2=bnOdvFEDnTPpuZO8D2blQ

Foodborne Illness. etrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodborneillness.html

Food safety and….

, 2009). To the extent that these young people are perceived in terms of stereotypical views by clinicians will likely be the extent to which the therapeutic relationship will be adversely affected. In this regard, Villaneuva and her associates conclude that, "Myths and stereotypes about mental illness that can create personal biases and lead to discrimination. Such stereotypical views together with long-standing beliefs about mental illness can affect the nurse-patient relationship and ultimately influence the care that patients receive" (p. 221).
In response to this potential for stereotypical perceptions influencing clinicians' treatment of adolescents with mental disorders, a growing number of programs across the country have been launched in recent years to educate the public and healthcare professionals concerning stereotypes about mental illness in general and among young people in particular. Popular stereotypes about mental illness, though, can be powerful forces that are not easily changed. For example, a study by….

psychological basis of mental illness is certainly only half of the story. Though mental illness is genetic, the actual symptoms and condition being presented is based on a careful marriage between biological and environmental factors. In particular, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is a mental illness in which "people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations or obsession, or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions)" (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011). This mental illness, like many others is multi-faceted, in that there is a physiological process associated with it, a set of symptoms that manifest, certain diagnostic criterion and then a set of treatment options.
Foremost, the physiological process of mental illness is mainly concerned with the brain and certain regions of it. The physiological process is a process that evaluates the neural mechanisms of perception and behavior. esearch examining the brain has found that "a selective….

, 2001). (Corrigan, Watson, Byrne & Davis, 2005, p. 363)
Individuals who then enter the system and attempt treatment are taking a leap of faith that doing so will improve rather than continue to degrade their life and their options in it. Though HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) attempts to resolve issues of confidentiality, creating strict rules for who when and how communications about one's health can be communicated between individuals attempts to aide all health care clients they are specifically helpful with regard to mental health clients. Possible barriers they create with regard to the sharing of information between clinicians can also be specifically troubling in the mental health arena as the individual must be shown to be giving consent in some way to these communications and they also bar clinicians from sharing information with the individual's support network, such as family, unless permission has been granted to….

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6 Pages
Term Paper

Children

Chronic Illness Affect on Family Dynamics

Words: 2042
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Chronic Illness on the Family ole of the Physician Assistant The writer explains the impact of chronic illness on family dynamics from the viewpoint of both family and patient. The…

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2 Pages
Essay

Nursing

Chronic Illness Over Time

Words: 676
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Health trajectory is the pattern of a person's health over time (Zangerle & Kingston, 2016). Health over time stems from numerus factors operational within a nested genetic, social, behavioral,…

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6 Pages
Research Paper

Healthcare

Living With Chronic Illness A Phenomenological Study

Words: 2048
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Research Paper

Living with chronic illness: A phenomenological study of the health effects of the patient-provider relationship' by Sylvia Fox and Catherine Chesla. The relationship between patient and health care provider…

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4 Pages
Term Paper

Disease

Coping With Chronic Illness Multiple Sclerosis

Words: 1167
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Multiple Sclerosis (Coping Strategies) Multiple sclerosis is caused by the self triggered allergic reaction that scrubs away the myelin sheath that protects the nerve cells, creating plagues and fissures that cause…

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14 Pages
Term Paper

Anatomy

Female Sexuality Issues in Women With Spinal Cord Injury Chronic Illness

Words: 4272
Length: 14 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Sexual health is not restricted to the mere physical -- genital function. Sexuality comprises different facets. At the basic, instinctual level, it is the feeling of maleness or femaleness;…

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image
1 Pages
Essay

Psychology

Living with Chronic Illness

Words: 382
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Essay

Invisible Support from Family & Friends How might symptoms of memory loss, paranoia, and verbal and physical aggression be particularly hard for the caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients? These symptoms might be…

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7 Pages
Term Paper

Disease

Chronic Fatigue Is Normal Aspect

Words: 2091
Length: 7 Pages
Type: Term Paper

However, he questions the research that has been done in this area. First, he wonders whether the exercise is a placebo effect based on the anticipation of improvement.…

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2 Pages
Essay

Nursing

The Impact of Chronic Disease

Words: 343
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

Chronic disease is a growing problem in countries like the United States. Couple this with the high costs of healthcare and it makes a storm of problems for those…

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image
6 Pages
Essay

Psychology

Managing Mental Illness Variations of

Words: 1875
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Essay

One aspect of a goal attainment program researched within the content of an article by Ng & sang, is group therapy work, where individuals are offered the opportunity…

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2 Pages
Essay

Health - Nursing

Illness Modern Nursing Is Extremely

Words: 723
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Essay

It is also a population that often has limited resources and one that seeks to find others to help comfort and educate them. Modern technology has certainly improved…

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5 Pages
Thesis

Sports - Drugs

Harmful Health Effects of Chronic

Words: 2208
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Thesis

"The IOM report recognized the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and urged that marijuana be made available to individual patients while research continued on the development of new…

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5 Pages
Research Paper

Disease

Foodborne Illness Foodborne Diseases and

Words: 1547
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Research Paper

(De Leon, 2010) Finally, in recent years there has been a call for more stringent regulatory measured to be put in place in order to prevent this category of…

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3 Pages
Research Paper

Psychology

Stereotypes of Mental Illness in

Words: 1069
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Research Paper

, 2009). To the extent that these young people are perceived in terms of stereotypical views by clinicians will likely be the extent to which the therapeutic relationship will…

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3 Pages
Essay

Psychology

Psychological Basis of Mental Illness Is Certainly

Words: 924
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

psychological basis of mental illness is certainly only half of the story. Though mental illness is genetic, the actual symptoms and condition being presented is based on a…

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7 Pages
Thesis

Psychology

Person for Mental Illness the

Words: 1953
Length: 7 Pages
Type: Thesis

, 2001). (Corrigan, Watson, Byrne & Davis, 2005, p. 363) Individuals who then enter the system and attempt treatment are taking a leap of faith that doing so will improve…

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