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Chronic Conditions and Injury
Chronic conditions are those which are long term (lasting more than 6 months) and can have a significant impact on a person's life. Chronic conditions can affect people of all ages. Many chronic conditions can be managed to minimise the severity of the symptoms and the impact on a person's life. Management of chronic conditions may be through medication and/or significant lifestyle changes (for example: dietary changes, taking up exercise programs and/or stress management techniques).
The chronic conditions listed below are not an exhaustive list, but include those conditions which are the focus of the Commonwealth Sharing Health Care Initiative (SHCI) [Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing].
The Chronic diseases and associated risk factors [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare] website links to information on the 12 most significant chronic diseases in Australia and the seven risk factors associated with them.
You can find information about other conditions, lifestyle issues and life events by clicking on the links in the navigation bar at the left or on any of the links to resources listed below.
Updated October 2011
Related HealthInsite Topics
HealthInsite Topic Page
Linking to information on arthritis and specific topic pages on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to general information on asthma, and topic pages on the causes and complications of the disease, as well as management and control treatments, support services and statistics.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on the various types of cancer, including prevention, risk factors, treatment, support services and statistics.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to guidelines for preventing and managing chronic conditions, including asthma, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about managing chronic diseases.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on chronic pain.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on chronic respiratory diseases.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on diabetes and its types, prevention, treatment, risk factors, complications, support services and statistics.
Heart, Stroke and Vascular Health
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to a range of information on issues associated with heart, stroke and vascular disease.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on high blood pressure or hypertension.
Injuries and Injury Prevention
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on specific types of injuries, as well as information about how to prevent injuries and stay safe.
Kidney and Urinary Tract Diseases
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about kidney diseases and urinary conditions.
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on living with illness in general, specific illnesses, support groups, and nutritional information.
Self Management of Chronic Diseases
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information on self management or self care for people with chronic illnesses.
Systematic Reviews of Treatments for Chronic Conditions and Injuries
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to summaries of systematic reviews of the evidence for treatments for chronic conditions and injuries.
Travelling with Chronic Conditions
HealthInsite Topic Page
Links to information about travelling for people with chronic conditions.
48 Resources Found
| Title: | MBS Primary Care Items |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) primary care items support primary care services including: general attendances, after-hours attendances, health assessments, nurse practitioners, midwives, chronic disease management and mental health care. Some of these services provide particular target groups with preventative health care or improve coordination of multidisciplinary care for people with chronic (or terminal) conditions and complex care needs. The items include support for services which may be provided by practice nurses, Aboriginal health workers and other allied health professionals. |
| Date: | Nov 2011 |
| Title: | General chronic conditions |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet |
| Description: | Chronic diseases among Indigenous Australians. Guidelines, health promotion resources, journal articles, reports and publications, theses, bibliography and organisations. |
| Date: | Jan 2012 |
| Title: | Pneumococcal disease - immunisation |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Better Health Channel |
| Description: | Pneumococcal disease can be deadly for young babies and children, elderly people or those with a serious illness. Immunisation can protect against serious complications. Immunisation is recommended for those in high-risk groups and rarely causes serious side effects. |
| Date: | Sep 2011 |
| Title: | Sleep disorders - narcolepsy |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Better Health Channel |
| Description: | A person with narcolepsy is extremely sleepy all the time and, in severe cases, falls asleep involuntarily several times every day. It is thought that narcolepsy is caused by a malfunctioning of the hypothalamus in the brain. This is a rare condition with no cure. |
| Date: | Aug 2011 |
| Title: | Media release. New advisory council to boost disease prevention efforts |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Moves to prevent the lifestyle risks of chronic disease in Australia have been boosted with the creation of an expert Advisory Council for the Australian National Preventive Health Agency. |
| Date: | Jul 2011 |
| Title: | Media release. Sharing stories to improve indigenous health care |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | A new report, People I Can Call On' , which will give healthcare providers an insight into the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with chronic illness, was launched today by the Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon. |
| Date: | Jul 2011 |
| Title: | Headache - treatment options |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Better Health Channel |
| Description: | Most headaches are caused by different factors working in combination. Factors may include problems of the musculoskeletal system, dietary problems, infections, eye and dental problems or neurological problems. Successfully treating chronic headache means investigating and treating each factor in turn. This combined approach to treatment should be medically supervised. |
| Date: | Mar 2011 |
| Title: | Livewire |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Livewire |
| Description: | Livewire uses online communities to connect, support and empower young people living with a serious illness, chronic health condition or disability. Livewire also supports and connects siblings and parents. |
| Date: | Jan 2012 |
| Title: | Anaemia of chronic disease |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Virtual Medical Centre.com |
| Description: | Anaemia is a condition in which the level of haemoglobin in the blood is low. Haemoglobin is responsible for the transport of oxygen around the blood within red blood cells. In anaemia of chronic disease, the anaemia is caused by a long-term inflammation that is present in many different types of diseases. |
| Date: | Feb 2011 |
| Title: | Wounds - how to care for them |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Better Health Channel |
| Description: | A skin wound that fails to heal, heals slowly or heals but tends to recur is known as a chronic wound. Some of the many causes of chronic skin wounds can include trauma, burns, skin cancers or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes. Chronic wounds need special care. |
| Date: | Jan 2011 |
| Title: | Pancreatitis (chronic) |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Virtual Medical Centre.com |
| Description: | Information on the symptoms, treatment and diagnosis of Chronic pancreatitis by professional health specialists. |
| Date: | Jan 2011 |
| Title: | Non-malignant / chronic disease |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | CareSearch |
| Description: | There are many illness that may benefit from specialist palliative input. These include neuromuscular disorders (MS, MND, Parkinsons disease), COPD, heart failure, dementia and other chronic life-limiting illnesses. |
| Date: | Jan 2011 |
| Title: | Art imitates life : HIV; ageing and antiretroviral therapy |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) |
| Description: | PROF JENNIFER HOY and DR OLGA VUJOVIC shed light on the complex interplay between antiretroviral therapy and symptoms of chronic disease due to ageing or HIV. |
| Date: | Jan 2011 |
| Title: | Fact sheet 23 - Chronic physical illness and depression |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | beyondblue |
| Description: | This fact sheet provides information on depression and its links with chronic physical illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, stroke, arthiritis, diabetes and cancer. |
| Date: | Dec 2010 |
| Title: | Premature mortality from chronic disease |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Description: | This bulletin uses potential years of life lost to describe mortality patterns for deaths due to chronic disease. It shows that most premature deaths were due to chronic disease. The leading cause of premature mortality among females was breast cancer and among males it was coronary heart disease. Further, the bulletin highlights that a large proportion of premature chronic disease deaths were also potentially avoidable. |
| Date: | Dec 2010 |
| Title: | Non-English speaking background resources |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Non English Speaking background factsheets, print and radio advertisements and an Educator Tool Kit for the 'How do you measure up?' campaign. |
| Date: | Oct 2010 |
| Title: | Chronic disease |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Here you will find answers to some frequently asked questions relating to chronic disease. |
| Date: | Oct 2010 |
| Title: | Danger of intra-abdominal fat |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Being overweight causes excess fat around your waist to coat your organs. Even a small deposit of this fat increases the risk that you will have serious health problems. |
| Date: | Oct 2010 |
| Title: | Health risks |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Unhealthy eating and not enough physical activity can easily lead to an increased risk of developing a chronic disease such as some cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. |
| Date: | Oct 2010 |
| Title: | How to measure yourself |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing |
| Description: | Find out how to measure your waist to see whether you are at risk of chronic disease. |
| Date: | Oct 2010 |
