Death, taxes and chronic disease

Benjamin Franklin once said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. The growing reality of death is visible as you get older and you hear of the passing of more and more persons in your age group. And we can't deny the certainty of taxes in today's world!

As you move past the 50-year landmark, one other reality that is appearing more and more in your rear-view mirror is the threat of chronic disease. They are fast becoming an everyday reality. So what does chronic really mean?

Acute or chronic?

Two big groups in which we can place diseases are acute and chronic. Acute conditions are short-lived and sudden in onset. You went to bed feeling well and got up this morning with headache, fever and stuffy nose. Your doctor diagnoses flu, you get some rest and medications and recover in a few days. It comes for a short time and then you are rid of it! That's a classic acute illness. So what does the other category of chronic really mean?

The origins of chronic?

'Chronic' comes from the ancient Greek word for time, which was translated into Latin as Chronus. In Greek mythology, Chronus was a god of time and imagined to be a serpent with three heads - those of a man, a bull and a lion. So on reflection, the essence of chronic isn't so much something inherently bad as it is a challenging experience that is rooted in time.

The behaviour of chronic diseases

Applying the time perspective, you will identify two things about a chronic disease. First, it often takes a long time to develop. Diabetes or hypertension do not develop overnight, but have a long and quiet journey in your body before they show. This is influenced by a combination of lifestyle and genetics.

The second point is that once they become full-blown, chronic diseases take a long time before they go away. Indeed, we must accept that the majority of the classic chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis and asthma have to be managed on a lifelong basis. Given their long-term nature if not controlled they can do a lot of damage to our bodies.

Wrestling with Chronus

Note that Chronus has three heads - he is as smart as man, stubborn as a bull and as dangerous as a lion. That's what the fight against chronic disease is like. You must be doubly smart and really understand the ins and outs of your condition. Seek credible information! You can't turn your back when you are fighting a bull.

Keep your eye on it and be strong, agile and persistent. Are you changing your habits and doing regular checks? Overall, you must seek help and support so as not to provoke the dangerous roar of the lion. Remember, in a wrestling match you won't kill your opponent, but you must pin him down as often as possible. Chronic disease is not as certain as death and taxes but given the trends we are seeing, it may be very well heading there!

Dr Tomlin Paul is a family physician at Health Plus Associates in Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.