Children are often mischievous and difficult to handle. But, when they suffer from chronic illness or special needs, they become even more difficult to manage. Chronic health conditions, encompassing both chronic illnesses and chronic physical disabilities, are typically characterized by their more than 12 months and the impact they have on individuals' regular activities. Chronic illnesses encompass a wide range of conditions, including asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, diabetes mellitus, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. These conditions often require ongoing medical management and can significantly impact a child's quality of life.

On the other hand, chronic physical disabilities refer to impairments that affect an individual's physical functioning. These disabilities can develop as hearing impairments, visual impairments, cerebral palsy, or loss of limb function. They can pose unique challenges and may require specialized interventions and accommodations to facilitate optimal functioning and participation in daily activities.

Effects of Chronic Health Conditions on Children

Children with chronic health conditions may have some activity limitations, frequent pain or discomfort, abnormal growth and development, and more hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and medical treatments. Children with severe disabilities may be unable at times to participate in school and peer activities. This causes mood swings and sadness in them. 

The way children respond to a long-lasting health condition depends on when it appears in their lives. If a child develops a chronic condition as an infant, their response will be different from those who develop it during their teenage years. For school-aged kids, not being able to go to school and make friends can have a big impact on them. Adolescents might struggle with the fact that they need help from their parents and others for their everyday needs, which can affect their desire for independence. Parents need to encourage self-reliance within the teenager's abilities and avoid being too protective.

Healthcare professionals can play a crucial role in advocating for appropriate hospital services for children with chronic conditions. They can help create playrooms suitable for different age groups and start school programs overseen by trained child life specialists. It's important to encourage children to interact with their peers whenever possible. Families and children should be given explanations about procedures and plan to ease their anxiety caused by uncertainty.

Symptoms of Chronic Illness 

Chronic illnesses come with specific symptoms related to the disease, but they can also bring invisible symptoms like pain, fatigue, and mood disorders. Pain and fatigue may become a regular part of your day. In addition to dealing with your illness, you probably have certain tasks to take care of your health, such as taking medicine or doing exercises. Keeping up with these health management tasks can also be stressful.

When you have a chronic illness, it can bring about physical changes that affect your appearance. These changes can make you feel less confident about yourself and may lead to a negative self-image. As a result, you might start to withdraw from friends and social activities. It's important to remember that mood disorders like depression and anxiety are common among people with chronic conditions, but they are highly treatable.

Strategies to cope with the chronic health condition child

It is essential to find the right strategy which would help the child to cope with their illness. Since, if the child is just left with medication and other treatments they would miss the human company and treatment. 

Here are some tips to manage your child with a chronic health condition

• Establish open communication as this would enable you to communicate their issues and solve them. For this to be done you must create a schedule for proper communication. The parent must be careful to set the boundary and ask questions according to the mood of the child. By adopting clear communication, the child feels a caring aura around him.
• Maintaining Discipline- Just because the child is suffering from a chronic health illness, discipline must not be missed. Parents must establish certain rules which help in managing the child without may hurry. It is also essential for parents to praise their children when they complete a task and praise them for being good. This would encourage them to perform their best. 
• It is also essential for parents to take care of themselves, as they are the ones who take care of children and they must be active most of the time. They must be the support system for their child regardless of the time of the day. This enables catering to the needs and wants of the child including medication. 
• Emotional and mental counseling- Parents must provide constant emotional and mental support to ensure that the child doesn’t feel left out. This would help the child in coping with the ailment and continue the treatment process. This can be done by engaging them in multiple play activities and speaking to them about their favorite shows on tv or food which makes them happy. 

Since it is difficult for children to attend school, the responsibility of parents is to create a learning environment that would enhance the health of the child. A proper daily routine must be created to help children in staying organized in their life. Opportunities must be created for the child to communicate with various self-help groups of their age. 

It is the ultimate responsibility of parents to take care of their children in tough times. If necessary parents must take training from the healthcare department to take care of their child. In addition to this, they must also take their child for counseling sessions as this would help them to cope with their chronic health condition. Moreover, parents must also ensure to join some classes that would help them to manage their child. Sree Manju Hospitals is the Best Hospital in Hyderabad which helps parents in handling their children with chronic health conditions. Besides this, the healthcare professionals in the Best Hospital in Hyderabad also provide multiple counseling tips which would help you in handling your child. For more details on the health, diagnosis, and consultation contact us at-