Have you recently been diagnosed with a chronic disease? Coming to terms with your diagnosis isn’t easy, but the best way to move forward is to focus on your next steps. What do you need to do now that you know about your condition? From learning about your illness to making impactful lifestyle changes to manage your symptoms, Immortality Medicine is here to share five important steps to take after receiving a chronic disease diagnosis.

Learn About Your Condition

After learning about your diagnosis, one of the first things you should do is research your condition. You want to become an expert on your illness! The more you know about what’s going on in your body, the better equipped you’ll be to make impactful decisions regarding your treatment and management strategies. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or nurse about your condition before turning to the internet. Ask them for trusted sources of medical information where you can read more on your own. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so make sure you know how to spot it!

Review Your Health Insurance

Your health insurance coverage will save you a lot of money as you pursue treatment, tests, and other healthcare visits going forward. Take some time to review your coverage and see if you need to make any changes to your plan. If you don’t have health insurance because you’re self-employed, start looking into your options. Insurers can no longer deny you coverage due to an existing condition, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a suitable health insurance plan that will accommodate your diagnosis. Take a look at the Health Insurance Marketplace or the Freelancers Union to compare plans.

Move into an Accommodating Home

Depending on your condition, you may want to move into a new home that’s more accommodating. If, for example, your chronic condition will have an impact on your mobility, moving into an accessible home will help you maintain your independence. You might also want to move to be closer to a hospital or treatment center or live somewhere more supportive of a health-focused lifestyle.

Just remember that you may need some time to save up a down payment for your new home. The more money you can save, the lower your interest rate and monthly mortgage payment. Learn about the down payment process so you can make a realistic savings plan for your big move.

Create an Exercise Plan

Regular exercise will help you maintain mobility and ward off the negative symptoms of your condition. Everyday Health explains that exercise helps lessen the severity of fibromyalgia and improve the overall quality of life for people with chronic pain. Talk to your doctor for safe exercise recommendations. For example, these foam rolling exercises are great for loosening up tight muscles and improving flexibility, which can reduce pain and improve your range of motion.

Make Healthy Dietary Swaps

Like engaging in regular exercise, making healthy dietary swaps is a great way to manage your condition. The American Diabetes Association explains that making healthy lifestyle changes is often very difficult because people try to change too many things at once or choose changes that are too different from their normal routines. Sticking to smaller changes, like swapping a few foods from your diet, is a great place to start without getting overwhelmed. If you need to lower your cholesterol, for example, try swapping butter for olive oil, eating fish instead of red meat, and snacking on homemade popcorn instead of chips.

Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic illness isn’t fun. But with a solid plan of action, you can learn to live with your condition. Review your health insurance options, learn more about your diagnosis, and consider moving into a more accommodating home. Jumping into action after your diagnosis is a great way to move forward and avoid excessive worry.

Immortality Medicine is a science and medical news website for adults interested in the latest breakthroughs in human longevity. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!