Chronic illness is defined as medical conditions or health problems associated with symptoms or disabilities that require long-term
(Smeltzer & Bare, 2001)
Chronic illness is a biopsychosocial phenomenon. Chronic illness usually occurs in old age and the condition has persisted for quite a long time (Lueckenotte, 2000). Chronic illness is a disease that affects more than 3 months. Chronic illness is a disease or condition whose symptoms lasted more than three months, and in some cases during the life of a person's recovery is slow and sometimes not total (Mckenzie, 2007).
The Cause and characteristics of chronic illness is uncertain, has multiple risk factors, requiring a long duration, causing malfunction or incompetence, and can not be cured.
Chronic illness is not caused by infection or pathogen but by lifestyle, risky behaviors, exposures associated with the aging process.
Chronic illness tend to cause damage that is which shows a permanent reduction or disappearance of an ability to perform various functions, especially the function of skeletal and musculoskeletal sensing organs. Chronic illness can not be cured but severity can be minimized by changing the behavior, lifestyle and exposure to certain factors in life.
More than 90 million Americans live with chronic illness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC). Sixteen percent of the cost of medical care costs for chronic diseases. Chronic illness are also a significant cause of mortality of 70% of total deaths in America.
