Chronic Illness

Chronic illness poses many unique and difficult challenges for all members of a family. Any illness that goes on for an extended period of time and has a significant impact on someone’s quality of life has the potential to diminish their sense of hope.  Finding positive ways to cope and regain a sense of purpose when coping with a long-standing chronic illness makes a big difference in people’s quality of life.

Research has shown that many of the chronic illnesses that plague people today have their root in digestive health. Untreated food sensitivities  are often part of the underlying cause.  Because 70% of our immune system is in our digestive tract, chronic intestinal inflammation makes it difficult for our body to cope with a wide variety off illnesses.  Whether it is chronic infections that require multiple courses of antibiotics, the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease , or anything else that upsets the integrity and bacterial balance of the digestive tract, a chronic disease may be the result. The “Evans Food Sensitivity Assessment Tool”  available for purchase on this site will help you determine whether or not a food sensitivity might be contributing to the symptoms of your chronic illness. The identification of the offending trigger food and the removal of this food from your diet may result in a significant improvement in at least some of the symptoms of your illness. It is certainly worth a try.

Stress can be both a major contributing cause and also the result of a chronic illness.  Learning to identify the signs and symptoms of stress early can help you to make changes in your lifestyle before these symptoms become serious.  Family members caring for someone with a chronic illness  often experience stress and a sense of compassion fatigue, themselves.   It is essential for all care partners (add link) to take care of themselves and watch for their own symptoms of stress.

For additional information, check out the additional information articles on left side of this page.