Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The hidden world of chronic disease

Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD
Conditions
September 25, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

Sometimes hiding things can work to our advantage: an early pregnancy, a disfiguring scar, public speaking anxiety … Easter eggs! But, more often, they are just temporarily hidden from public view, and, in the grand scheme of things, it can actually be a relief when they are “found.”

Enter the world of chronic disease, and things rapidly become much more complex. Chronic disease can often become manifest without any external visual signs, such that nobody really can tell what others may be experiencing.

And that, right there, is at the heart of the matter.

So many chronic health conditions come with baggage – pain, fatigue, work disruption, and social impacts, to name just a few. Family dynamics are also often profoundly impacted.

The obvious conditions are from general disciplines familiar to most:

  • endocrine: diabetes, thyroid disorders
  • cardiovascular: heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, arrhythmias
  • neurologic: Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, dementia, stroke, migraines
  • rheumatologic and autoimmune: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease
  • psychiatric: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADD

And the above group of conditions just serves as an example from a much longer list.

Here’s where menopause sneaks into the picture for most women. The hormonal journey starts long before “12 months without a period.” And postmenopause essentially continues until the end of life.

Is menopause a disease?

Absolutely not!

For most, it is a natural transition women go through during their life journeys. Yet, it has many characteristics that mimic chronic illness – especially often the hidden parts:

  • The trip from pre- to post-menopause typically spans many years and sometimes more than a decade.
  • Many symptoms can be intrusive, hard to manage, impact daily life, impair mental and physical well-being, and sometimes are misunderstood.
  • Medical care is often sought, and not just from Western medicine.
  • Even in our current era, talking about menopausal symptoms can almost be taboo in some social circles and workplaces.
  • And – as if adding insult to injury – the incidence of other chronic diseases increases in the postmenopausal state.

But, back to the hidden part.

I will never forget one day when I was rounding in the hospital on-call, seeing patients on the cardiac telemetry unit. I was about seven months pregnant (very visibly so) and had arrived at the nursing station to write a few notes. I glanced around but couldn’t see any open chairs.

A lovely nurse leaped to his feet and offered his chair to me, much to the relief of my aching feet. The kindness didn’t stop there, however, as the same nurse dashed over to the staff break room and brought me some Jell-O. When I left the hospital a bit later on the way to my car to drive to work, I recall someone holding the door open for me.

Fast forward to now. I have had a chronic illness – rheumatoid arthritis – for 22 years. Nobody offers me a chair or some Jell-O or opens the door for me with the same courtesy as when I was in my third trimester. My feet are constantly on fire, and I always struggle with door handles – good thing I don’t like Jell-O!

My chronic disease is not really visible. The struggle is real for so many others too. And, if we lump menopause into this category, it becomes quite clear that most women will experience some version of chronic “illness” even while enjoying perfect health.

ADVERTISEMENT

I truly believe the onus is on BOTH sides to be more transparent and accommodating. Let’s strive for more kindness (I always try to hold the door open for others) and understanding, even if – and especially if – there are no visual cues that someone else may be having a difficult time.

More importantly, let’s work on demystifying the menopausal journey and make it normal to talk and ask about it. We should feel free to share knowledge, ask and answer questions, and strive for supportive and nurturing environments.

It feels good to be seen – and heard!

Susan J. Baumgaertel is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

My patient with an aortic dissection almost died

September 25, 2022 Kevin 4
…
Next

Amazon vs. Apple: Only one will rewrite the rules of health care

September 25, 2022 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: OB/GYN

Post navigation

< Previous Post
My patient with an aortic dissection almost died
Next Post >
Amazon vs. Apple: Only one will rewrite the rules of health care

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD

  • Navigating chronic diseases and menopause: healthier habits for aging

    Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD
  • The magic of human connections

    Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD
  • Breaking the silence on the harmful effects of the EMR

    Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD

Related Posts

  • 5 hidden consequences of chronic pain

    Toni Bernhard, JD
  • Chronic disease is making medical education worse

    Jason J. Han, MD
  • On the internet, you are looking for something to make you angry

    Judson Ellis
  • We must ask patients obvious questions

    Weijie Violet Lin
  • 5 things I wish I had known earlier about chronic pain

    Tom Bowen
  • Art therapy and the intersection between chronic illness and mental health

    Amy Oestreicher

More in Conditions

  • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

    Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP
  • How collaboration saved my life from a rare disease doctors couldn’t diagnose

    Tami Burdick
  • Why your emotions are your greatest compass in therapy and life

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Patients are not waiting: What MCDA twin parents teach us about shared decision-making

    Stephanie Ernst
  • Health workers deserve care too: How to protect their mental health

    Corey Feist, JD, MBA & Kim Downey, PT
  • Why the words doctors use matter more than they think

    Erin Paterson
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • When doctors die in silence: Confronting the epidemic of violence against physicians

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Avoiding leadership pitfalls: strategies for success in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

      Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD | Physician
    • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

      Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP | Conditions
    • Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the absence of physician mentorship, who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians?

      Kenneth Botelho, DMSc, PA-C | Education
    • Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Why no medical malpractice firm responded to my scientific protocol

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • When doctors die in silence: Confronting the epidemic of violence against physicians

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Avoiding leadership pitfalls: strategies for success in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How to build a culture where physicians feel valued [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • When rock bottom is a turning point: Why the turmoil at HHS may be a blessing in disguise

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • How grief transformed a psychiatrist’s approach to patient care

      Devina Maya Wadhwa, MD | Physician
    • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

      Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP | Conditions
    • Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • In the absence of physician mentorship, who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians?

      Kenneth Botelho, DMSc, PA-C | Education
    • Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The hidden world of chronic disease
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...