You may have lost your appetite and have lost weight. This can result in loss of muscle, leading to muscle weakness.

It is very important to make sure your food intake is adequate. Speak to your nurse or dietician if you feel you are not eating enough. They may be able to offer supplements where appropriate.

Read the Healthy Eating Guide

Reduced mobility and loss of muscle strength can increase your risk of falling.

You may feel unable to do as much exercise as before and may become less active. It is important to adapt your exercise so you can continue to do as much as you are able to.

Chair-based exercises can be useful. A simple sit-to-stand exercise from a chair can help maintain power in the large muscles of the thigh.

If you are unsure how to maintain your mobility, ask your doctor or nurse to refer you to your local physiotherapist. They can see you at home and discuss an exercise programme suited to you.

You may also benefit from using a walking aid to help steady your walking if you feel weak. A physiotherapist can provide a suitable aid and can give advice to family members on how best to support you when walking.

Read about preventing falls

You may find that, as a result of your condition, you tire more easily. This can increase your risk of falling.

Any exercises you do should be adapted to avoid becoming too tired. Try the principle of little and often, with a few repetitions of each exercise.

If fatigue is an issue, try not to do full-body exercises. Stick to arms or legs on their own, as this may be less tiring.

Fitting exercise into your usual routine can also help. Activities such as getting dressed or showered may be more tiring and can be broken down into smaller steps. For example, dress your top half, then rest before dressing your bottom half. This can help reduce the risk of falling while dressing.

Read about coping with fatigue

You may be taking a significant amount of medication. While this is often needed to manage your symptoms, some medication can cause drowsiness or changes to your blood pressure.

If you feel dizzy when getting out of bed, your blood pressure may be dropping when you change position.

Take your time when changing position. Sit on the edge of the bed before standing up.

If you are experiencing dizziness, discuss this with your doctor. They may be able to make adjustments to your medicine.

You may have more equipment around the house than previously, or you may be spending more time in slippers rather than outdoor shoes.

Make sure your clothing and footwear are not increasing your risk of falling. Clothes may become too large if you have lost weight, which may increase the risk of tripping.

Well-fitting slippers can be adequate, but slippers are often loose fitting and may not offer enough support.

If there is a lot of equipment around the home, consider whether loose cables or lack of space could increase your risk of falling.

Some equipment may help maintain your safety. If you are struggling to stand from sitting, or you are fearful of falling while showering, you may wish to ask for a referral to your local authority occupational therapist for assessment.

Some areas also have occupational therapists in their community teams.