Learn Spanish (Latin America): Él vive padeciendo una enfermedad diferente cada semana. - He constantly suffers from a different illness every week.

Using vivir followed by a gerund (like padeciendo) is a structure that means an action happens constantly or habitually. While siempre padece just states a fact, vive padeciendo adds emotional weight, often implying exaggeration, weariness, or annoyance, similar to saying 'he is constantly suffering' or 'he is always suffering' in English.

Are padecer and sufrir interchangeable here?

Yes, they are very similar! Padecer specifically leans toward enduring a physical or mental ailment, making it the perfect verb for illnesses (enfermedades). Sufrir is also correct and widely used, but padecer sounds a bit more specific to medical conditions.

Does the vivir + gerund structure always imply a complaint, like it does in this sentence?

Not always, but very often. It can be used for positive things, like él vive sonriendo (he is always smiling). However, in everyday conversation, you will hear it used very frequently to complain about or exaggerate a tiresome, repetitive situation like this one.

Why does diferente come after enfermedad? Could it go before the noun?