Although your healthcare team is providing you with care and treatment for your diagnosis, do you feel like you have everything you need to manage your chronic illness? Unfortunately, healthcare biases can affect the quality of care for Black patients, thus leading them to not be well-informed about their health and may lead to unhealthy lifestyles. Patients of color need to have resources outside of the doctor’s office that can help them navigate living with a chronic illness. Here are six resources we compiled to help Black patients living with a chronic condition.

The hardships surrounding chronic illness not only affect you, but those around you. If you’re in a romantic relationship, chances are that your condition may be impacting your partner as well. If your partner is also your caregiver, they may be dealing with caregiver burnout, which can cause distance and communication issues in the relationship. With this in mind, it’s important to find ways to maintain a healthy relationship while dealing with a chronic illness.

One of the main causes of stress for people living with a chronic illness is their conditions' uncertainties. We don’t always know when we can have an awful flare-up or if our joints are too stiff to be physically active. With this in mind, having a structured routine may not be the best option for us. Creating a flexible routine can give us time to care for ourselves while also getting work done.

Health disparities significantly impact how health concerns are addressed among minorities. For African Americans, they have the highest rates of morbidity and mortality across many chronic diseases. Here’s a look at the most common health disparities among African Americans in the United States.

A common myth about the chronic condition of rheumatoid arthritis is that it’s an older person’s condition. Unfortunately, this misconception affects how younger patients navigate this chronic illness. Age-shaming from friends, family, and even healthcare providers can take a toll on your mental health and make you wonder if your chronic illness is real.

As a chronic illness patient, you’re probably juggling several healthcare providers. At one point or another, you’ve probably disagreed with what your doctor said about your health. However, as an advocate, you can respectfully decline their recommendations when you have concerns about your health. Here are five tips for what to do when you disagree with your doctor to ensure your voice is heard.

We want to highlight thyroid warriors and spread awareness about their invisible illnesses during Thyroid Awareness Month. With this in mind, we want to educate patients with thyroid diseases about potential health conditions they may encounter from this chronic condition.

Discussing health can be a sensitive subject for many people. For people with chronic illnesses, specific topics should be left off the table. Here are four questions to ask someone living with an invisible disease and four questions you should avoid asking.

To celebrate Thyroid Awareness Month, three thyroid advocates on social media are impacting the thyroid disease community!

Have you ever wondered what specific stressors are causing harm to your chronic condition and mental health? As many may know, living with a chronic condition can be highly stressful at times. These four challenges commonly faced by chronic illness patients can contribute to stress.

You can experience burnout in all parts of your life. For chronic illness patients, it’s not uncommon to become overwhelmed with managing their conditions. Chronic illness burnout is a stress response to the responsibilities of dealing with a chronic illness. Here are ways to manage chronic illness burnout to cope with the stresses of a chronic illness.

The colder seasons can heighten the symptoms of many chronic conditions. When the temperature drops, you may experience more pain and fatigue and become more susceptible to infections. As a chronic illness patient, you’re likely already aware of the challenges of managing your condition, but are you prepared for the winter months?