Chronic Diseases

The ER is not for chronic diseases. The acute recognition of a chronic condition does not make it an emergency. It doesn’t matter how you describe it, how distressing it is to you, or that today is a worse day. Acknowledging that everyone feels better or worse on some days than others also holds true when you think about your disease process. Your arthritis will be better or worse on some days. Your residual symptoms from your prior stroke will be better or worse on some days. Your chronic chest pain, whether it’s from angina or any other cause, will be better or worse on some days. Your IBS, which, as I mentioned, is a controversial diagnosis, will be better or worse on some days. Virtually every condition you have has better or worse days. But at the end of the day, it’s still a chronic medical condition and not something that requires emergency attention.