Can you go pick up my medication from the pharmacy? Growing up, this was a bi-weekly request from my mother, along with “please go grab my blood pressure monitor from my room” and “can you help me find grandma’s glucose reader?”.
Living 200ft away from a Rite Aid Pharmacy was a luxury for a family dealing with four chronic illnesses. Two of my family’s illnesses were completely avoidable but plague millions of Americans each year. Moreover, 45% of adults are making significant life changes due to hypertension, and 8.5% of adults are doing the same for Type 2 diabetes.
The rattling sound of a plastic pill organizer is all too familiar to families across the country. I remember my mother opening the container every morning and night, and then organizing her medication each Sunday to start all over again. One evening, her pill organizer fell to the floor and the reality of my mother’s condition became clear when I saw all the medicine she was taking to maintain her health. Health innovations allow us to avoid the difficulty of arranging pill organizers, which only gets harder as people age.
Pill Pack (acquired by Amazon) describes themselves as the pharmacy simplified. It is a service that works with you and your doctor, to organize your daily medications and deliver them right to your door, on time and free of charge. No more pill organizing or trips to the pharmacy. Though this will save you time, the financial burden that comes with managing a chronic disease remains the same.
An estimated $131 billion is spent on hypertension treatment per year. And adults with Type 2 diabetes have healthcare spending that is 2.3 times more than average. Like healthcare isn’t expensive enough! Save yourself the time, money and peace of mind by making the choice to be healthier today.
Preventative health is the best health. Now, here are five simple steps that will help you start living healthier today. First begin exercising regularly. This can mean 30 mins of dancing to your favorite song, taking a walk with some close friends and family, or even adding a daily run to your routine.
Second, maintain a healthy diet. This is coming from a very picky eater so let me give you a quick tip; begin adding healthy foods and vitamins to your diet gradually. Trust me, soon you will wonder how you ever lived without your daily dose of spinach.
Next, become familiar with safe blood pressure and glucose monitor readings. I’ll make this one easy for you. Ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher. Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower. Normal blood sugar levels are less than 100 mg/dL after fasting for at least eight hours, and should be less than 140 mg/dL two hours after eating. During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals.
Next, reduce stress as much as you can. You only have one body and one life to live – breathe and let the stress go. And lastly, know your family history. Knowing that my mother and grandmother were susceptible to a life of chronic disease allowed me to choose what my future will look like – and I chose health.
Bonus Tips! Consider new telehealth technologies to monitor, manage and maintain a better quality of life while coping. Remote patient monitoring devices remind patients to take their insulin while providing real time updates on glucose levels and blood pressure to physicians.
And if you live in New Jersey, take a look at the “Take Control of your Health” program, which operates in all 21 counties. Workshops are held for 2.5 hours a week for six weeks and encourage a positive approach to chronic disease self-management. Participants reported improved physical ability, better communication with health care providers and fewer hospital visits. The journey to better health can start today. It does not have to include an expensive gym membership or a keto diet. You just need to be aware that you are in control on this journey and better health starts with better decisions.
~ Chinwe Igwe
