How to Live Life to the Fullest After Being Diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

If you have been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), you’re not alone. This disease affects over three million people throughout the world, and one in 2,500 in the United States alone.

CMT is a progressive, degenerative disease affecting the peripheral nerves. People diagnosed with it experience a range of symptoms like sensory loss, tripping, struggling with balance, and numbness in the feet and hands. Symptoms gradually worsen. While it can be difficult to live life to the fullest while navigating these symptoms, you can improve your chances by taking this advice: 

Exercise Every Day

While Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease can make exercise harder, it isn’t an excuse to cut it out of your life. In fact, exercise is integral to actively managing the disease. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right exercise plan to meet your unique needs. However, a number of exercises can be beneficial, like walking, biking, and swimming, to strengthen your lungs and heart. Light weights may also assist in maintaining muscle tone. 

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Just as you would maintain a healthy diet for overall health and well-being, it’s a good idea to prioritize it when you have been diagnosed with CMT. The vitamins and minerals your body absorbs through food may help your body manage the disease. Choose whole grains, vegetables, and fruit, and be mindful of your sugar and sodium intake. Drink alcohol in moderation, and choose a diet that’s low in cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. 

Use Assistive Aids

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease can make it hard to grip and hold things. Some people also shuffle, march, or drag their feet while walking. Such symptoms can make everyday activities much harder without assistance.

That’s why assistive aids can be so helpful. You can maintain your independence by investing in adaptive aids like reach tools with claws or a magnet on the end to grab items when you can’t. Even tasks like eating and drinking can be made easier with utensils with grip handles and two-handled mugs. 

Take Care Of Your Mental Health

CMT doesn’t just affect your physical health; it can have a considerable impact on your mental health. It’s normal to feel depressed, sad, angry, and irritable as you face numerous frustrating symptoms that affect your everyday life. 

Rather than bottling up your feelings, seek help. The support you receive can depend on your preferences. Some people create a support team of friends and family, while others also reach out to professional counselors and their church. You may decide to rely on a combination of professional and personal support. There is also value in relaxation techniques, like mindfulness meditation, which can improve both your physical and mental well-being.

Get Out and About

Your mobility might be limited, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and about and enjoy the same or similar activities you did before your diagnosis. Explore different mobility aids like canes, bracing or orthotics, wheelchairs, and walking poles. 

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease doesn’t have to mean life as you know it is over. You can still live life to the fullest by using mobility and assistive aids, looking after your mental and physical health, and asking for help.