What is the difference between acute and chronic disease

If you'd like to contact Drs. Guests Number. Category: medical clinic. Tags: Acute and Chronic Disease. More about Illnesses As people age, they become more susceptible to different health conditions, such as the flu, arthritis, and heart failure. Acute illnesses usually develop suddenly and don't last long, a few days or weeks. Chronic conditions develop over time and may worsen over time, which takes months to years.

Acute illnesses are usually isolated to one bodily area and respond to treatment. In contrast, long-term conditions frequently involve multiple systems and have an uncertain future. The onset of severe symptoms constitutes an acute medical condition at first, and your doctor may perform tests to determine whether the symptoms are due to a chronic condition.

Whereas an acute illness generally develops suddenly and lasts a short time, a chronic illness develops slowly and may worsen over an extended period of time — thereby requiring a long-term medical plan to keep it under control as much as possible. Some chronic conditions may eventually be resolved through medication, surgery, physical therapy, or other treatment options; but until then, ongoing care must be taken.

It is important that your primary care doctor is trained to recognize the difference between acute and chronic illnesses. This is important because the proper diagnosis and classification will affect your treatment plan or care strategy.

For example, a patient with a chronic pulmonary problem like asthma is in need of long-term management of the condition — as opposed to someone with a case of bronchitis, which will go away following treatment.

Acute diseases are the ones which attack our body rapidly with some distinct symptoms present and require immediate care.

These diseases however need short term care and get better once treated well. For instance, a broken leg bone that might take place from a fall must be treated immediately by a doctor. This bone crack will need immense care and will heal with time and care.

Cold, cough and fever can also be termed as acute diseases as these things go away soon if taken care at the right time. Generally, people with acute illness heal up quickly. Chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases are the ones which develop slowly but stay in our body for a long time. These diseases may have a number of warning signs or no signs at all. Some of the chronic diseases are diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases and these diseases can be cured only by controlling. Human beings can prevent acute and chronic diseases by maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the following ways -.

Ensure generous consumption of fruits and vegetables and adequate folic acid intake.