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News of a chronic illness diagnosis can be discouraging to patients and their families as routines and family dynamics adapt to accommodate the new normal. However, accessing the right resources can help alleviate this challenge for families, caregivers, and patients. Most importantly, finding the right activities to indulge in will boost the family’s morale and help patients cope with flare-ups.

When you live with RA, you may not feel like walking or stretching – but finding the right balance between rest and exercise can help your mobility and even your mood. Before you start exercising, talk to your doctor about light, gentle exercises that will not stress your joints and are safe for people with RA.

Chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, etc.) and autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, etc.) are something we’ve all heard about. But how equipped are we to deal with them should they come knocking at our front door? 

Lupus is an intermittent autoimmune disease where at times you might feel completely normal, and other times when your symptoms — such as joint pain, muscle fatigue, fever, and skin rashes — seem to worsen.  These stretches of worsened symptoms are known…

After visiting with your primary care physician to discuss your ongoing digestive and bowel issues, you’ve now been referred to a gastroenterologist (GI) who specializes in treating chronic forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). You fear you may receive a diagnosis of a condition like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. The range of treatments for those with IBD can vary, from alterations in diet to the prescription of a biologic infusion therapy such as Remicade, Entyvio, Tysabri, or other medication.

Starting a new medication of any kind – especially an ongoing biologic infusion – often brings fear and anxiety with its prescription. What should you do to prepare? What should you expect? What happens afterwards? Whether you’re new to Remicade (infliximab) infusions or have been receiving Remicade (or an infliximab biosimilar such as Avsola, Inflectra, or Renflexis) infusions for years, we’ve provided tips to making infusion day at IVX Health just a bit more manageable. 

There are three forms of asthma; exercise-induced asthma, chemical and dust exposure asthma, and allergic asthma (aka allergy-induced asthma). According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), in excess of 25 million people in the United States have asthma. Of these more than 25 million people, approximately 60% have allergic asthma. During different seasons, asthma may flare due to the changes in the environment. For many, spring particularly can cause an increase in asthma flare-ups.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated skin disease that affects approximately 7.5 million adults in the U.S.

The most common form of this autoimmune disease is plaque psoriasis. When an overactive immune system causes the body to produce skin cells too fast, these cells buildup on the surface of the skin, causing the development of thick, shiny, dry, scaly patches (commonly referred to as plaques) of various sizes on the skin. Psoriasis plaques usually form on the hands, feet, knees, elbows, and scalp. These plaques can cause pain, itching, stinging, and a burning sensation.

Although there is no cure for plaque psoriasis, the symptoms arise sporadically and there are lifestyle changes, home remedies and medical treatments available to reduce the severity of the symptoms and psoriasis flare ups. The best way to prevent psoriasis to avoid known triggers.

Many East Tennessee patients with complex chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis make the journey to into a larger city such as Knoxville, Chattanooga or Morristown regularly to receive biologic infusions. These infusions are typically given every 4-8 weeks, which means that patients not only spend more time in the car, but they often need to find dining options for breakfast, lunch or dinner before or after their infusion.