Managing long term health conditions

Find out here how to live with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and eczema.

Asthma

As you move towards adulthood you start to take more responsibility in all areas of your life, managing your asthma is just one of them.

It can, however, be easy to forget to look after your asthma properly with all the other changes going on in your life, like going to college, new school, starting as relationship. Your asthma can feel like just another thing to cope with but if you stay on top of it everything else in your life will run more smoothly.

For helpful tips and ideas please click here. 

For information and guidance about managing your asthma in school or college please visit here.

Diabetes

Being a teenager is hard enough, with or without Type 1 diabetes. For lots of information and support all about Type 1 diabetes and being a teenager please visit here.

Diabetes, what do you really know?

You may also find this NHS page helpful.

Epilepsy

Most people cope with epilepsy very well after they are diagnosed, so it is important that you try to get on with your life as much as possible

If you’re leaving home, or starting college or secondary school, it may mean that you’re managing your epilepsy for the first time on your own too. It doesn’t need to be a big deal, but there are a few things to consider. See the following links for guidance:

https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/211-about-young-epilepsy-a-brief-guide/file.html

https://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/for-young-people/epilepsy-and-me/

To hear about the experiences of other young people with epilepsy see the following video:-

No two people with epilepsy are the same. That’s why Young Epilepsy has created an innovative, free app that can be tailored to the needs of each young person or child with epilepsy.  Download the app FREE here.

Contact the Young epilepsy helpline here:

Eczema

Find out about the experience of having eczema by seeing and hearing young people share their personal stories on film:

In some younger children, the condition may improve but then restart as they enters puberty, when hormones, stress, and irritating skin products or cosmetics are often introduced. Some people will have some degree of dermatitis into adulthood, with areas of itching and a dry, scaly appearance.

The best way to manage your eczema is to learn to, tune in to what triggers your eczema and manage the condition with your prescribed treatments regularly. As you move towards adulthood this becomes more and more your responsibility.

Your self-esteem doesn’t have to suffer just because you have eczema, and neither does your social life! Getting involved in your school and extracurricular activities can be a great way to get your mind off the itch. If certain activities aggravate your eczema, such as playing football in the grass, suggest activities to your friends that won’t harm your skin.

For more information pelase visit:

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/eczema.html?WT.ac=ctg#catallergies-immune

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atopic-eczema/