Coping with multiple health conditions can be a challenge, from taking different medications to managing symptoms. We share tips that people with heart conditions have found useful.
1. Get help from others
If living with more than one health condition limits what you can do, then getting help from family or friends can make you feel more supported. This might be help with jobs in the house, or with shopping if you find it difficult to get out.
Dr Raj Thakkar, a GP and the Primary Care Cardiology Lead in the Oxford academic health science network, says it’s also important to ask your GP for help if you feel anxious or depressed. “Don’t be afraid to say how you feel, so they are aware of your concerns. Think about your feelings, and try to describe them – for example, it’s normal to feel angry, or anxious.
Your doctor may refer you for some psychological help, signpost you to another healthcare professional, or book you in for another chat about it.”
2. Master your medicines
Taking several (or more) medicines each day can be a challenge. Paul Forsyth, Lead Pharmacist Clinical Cardiology for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has some tips to help.
He says “Before starting a new treatment, have an honest conversation with the healthcare professional prescribing your medicine about the potential benefits and risks of the medicine and how best to fit it into your life, for example, when to take it, and how often. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions. Let them know if you have any problems, such as reading labels, or difficulty using your hands.”
Remembering to take your tablets can be easier if you build it into your day. A pill organiser, chart, or alarm on a phone are different ways that many people find helpful to organize and remember their medication. Taking your medicines at the same time as a regular activity, such as waking up or going to bed, can also be helpful.
Mr Forsyth adds: “Ask for an annual appointment with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, to review your medicines with you – the way your body reacts to a medicine may change over time. It’s also a chance to monitor the effect and safety of the medicine and to check if you still need to remain on it. You can use the review to talk about any side effects and discuss any interactions between your medicines.”
3. Build your fitness
If you’re at risk of falls (for example because of walking difficulties, or balance issues, or taking certain medications, some of which can make dizziness worse), being more active can reduce the risk. Dr Thakkar says: “You can help yourself feel better by getting as fit as possible within your limits.” Group activities such as a gentle exercise class or a walking group in your area can help your fitness, and can also help boost your mood by making you feel connected to others.
4. Become an expert in your health
Ask your GP if there is an Expert Patient programme in your area, or search online (some courses accept people directly without a referral). This is a free six-week course, designed to help you manage your long-term condition, including dealing with tiredness and pain, healthy eating, exercise, relaxation techniques and planning for the future. “It’s natural to feel uncertainty about what’s ahead,” says Dr Thakkar. “But learning as much as you can about your health issues means you can take the decisions that are right for you, and you will end up feeling more in control.”
Visit NHS Choices, or other charity websites for different conditions, such as Diabetes UK. Call the BHF’s Heart Helpline on 0300 330 3300 to get answers about heart disease and related conditions.
5. Prepare for appointments
You can get the most out of your appointments by preparing before you go and thinking about what questions to ask. This is important if you have a lot you want to cover with your doctor, specialist nurse or pharmacist. “After a consultation I suspect there are a lot of people who think: ‘I wish I had asked X, Y or Z,’ says Dr Thakkar. “Think about what you want to get out of that consultation, how your health issue is affecting your life and what’s important to you. For one person it might be walking to the shops every day, or attending an important family event, and for someone else it might be finding out the pros and cons of surgery.”
6. Ask for a joined-up approach to your treatment
You may find you have hospital appointments with different specialists. Dr Thakkar says that it’s getting more common for specialists to talk to one another in one meeting about a patient’s health, but he adds: “If you don’t feel that’s happening and you are getting conflicting or confusing information, and it’s difficult to make sense of it all, then go back to your GP. Part of the job of the GP is to bring all that together and treat the patient as a whole person, not as a series of diseases.
