Everyone reacts to the stress of natural or manmade emergencies and disasters. However, patients with chronic illness must be extra attentive at such times. They often experience new or increased symptoms at the time of the event, and they may also suffer difficulties well after the event is long past. The following checklist may help guide you in times of emergency or disaster.

Acute emergencies

Emergencies such as flood or fire can force you to leave your dwelling suddenly. You need to be prepared.

Emergency bag.  You want to have a small bag easily available to you which contains the following:

1. Enough of your medications to last a week.
2. An identification and medical information card with your name, address, phone, emergency contact person, and a list of your illnesses and medications. It should also include information about any allergies you may have.
3. Cash and credit cards. You will probably simply drop your wallet into your bag.
4. A bottle of water.
5. Enough dry food to last you 24 hours.
6. A cell phone.
7. A small battery-operated radio.

Emergencies which may affect you directly

Emergencies likes hurricanes or other violent weather may or may not impact you directly, but you need to be prepared by having the following on hand:

1. Always have enough of your medications to last a week.
2. Always have a supply of canned and dry food that does not require cooking and that you like to eat.
3. Have enough bottled water available to last at least three days.
4. Put on warm, comfortable clothing, soft socks, and have blankets available.
5. Have easily available a flashlight, a radio that operates on batteries, and some non-electric form of lighting (oil lamp, battery-run camping lamp).
6. Turn on your cell phone.
7. Have in place with your emergency contact person ways to get in touch if the power is out or the phones are out.

Disasters anywhere, but particularly those that strike close to home, can have a profound effect on you even if you're not immediately on the scene. These may be natural events like a tornado, or a mudslide, or they may be events like a bombing or terrorist attack. People with chronic conditions need to be extra careful at such times and pay attention to the following:

1. Stick to your regular routines. Don't let the event change the structure of your life. It's natural to want to want to inform yourself. But most of us tend to glue ourselves to the TV or call all our friends. Nevertheless, it's better for chronic illness sufferers to try to limit news watching so that you can do the things you regularly do such as make your bed, spend 20 minutes eating breakfast, meditate etc. The structure of your life is vitally important to your well-being.
2. Limit your exposure to the media.  It's important to inform yourself about what's going on, but when you have learned what the situation is, and reporters have gotten to the point where they're simply producing horrifying or emotional personal-interest stories, turn off the news. It's often best if you listen to the news on the radio rather than watching TV. Images are very powerful and can linger to create difficulties for you weeks later.
3. Be wise about your conversations.  Everyone needs to talk about disasters and emergencies. But you want to be selective of the people you talk with and how much you talk. Remaining calm and reasonable and sensible is wise. Unfortunately some people enjoy dwelling on horrors and treat real disasters as a kind of entertainment, like a real-life horror movie. In its desire to attract viewers or listeners, the media often indulges in gratuitous attention to blood, tears, and suffering.
4. Be prepared.  Make sure you're prepared for disasters or emergencies by having the items mentioned in the earlier sections available. It is always possible that a disaster will affect you which does not at first seem as though it will. Have your bag ready, your comfortable, warm clothes, your cell phone, battery-operated radio, flashlight, and a supply of nonperishable food and drinking water.

Things to do after an emergency

1. Report new or increased symptoms to your doctor.  Many chronic illness sufferers may find themselves experiencing new or increased physical symptoms after an emergency or disaster, even if they haven't been immediately affected by the disaster. It's very important for you to see your doctor whenever you begin experiencing new or increased symptoms.
2. Report delayed effects.  People with chronic illness often experience increased sleep problems, or they have more fear or bad dreams in the weeks after a disaster. Some have trouble eating. If you experience such effects or others that concern you, you should consider seeing your doctor to talk about the problems or to be referred to someone with whom you can talk about them.