The loss of immunity or carelessness towards our wellbeing can cause our bodies to malfunction. Factors that cause harm to our body in any way are called diseases. We can categorize diseases into different forms based on the time they take to appear. The two categories are acute and chronic disease. Other factors form the basis of the difference between them.
Acute vs Chronic Diseases
The main difference between acute and chronic diseases is that acute diseases develop suddenly and last for a short period, on the other hand, chronic diseases take time to develop and last for a long time. Drug abuse, carelessness, accidents, etc., can cause acute disease, whereas failure of organs and inadequate nutrition can cause chronic disease.
Acute diseases are those that last for a short period. It may reoccur but doesn’t linger for a long period, like a year or months. Acute diseases can be a result of virus infections or some other factors such as accidents. The meaning of acute also relates to the severity of the disease. The severity of the acute disease can be so much that it can be lethal. The acute disease can escalate in a small period and result in death.
Chronic diseases develop due to lack of nutrition or neglect towards a healthy lifestyle. It takes time to come into effect and lasts for a long time. If the disease persists for more than three months, it can be categorized as chronic. Diseases like diabetes and HIV are examples of chronic diseases. These diseases respond to medication, but the process takes a long time.
Comparison Table Between Acute and Chronic Diseases
What is Acute Disease?
The term acute translates to something that lasts for a short period. The time for the disease varies depending on the nature and context. The term acute in terms of disease denotes severity and suddenness apart from short duration. Several acute diseases are severe, but it has some exceptions as well.
Acute diseases can be a consequence of an accident, or they can be caused due to some viruses. The term acute is used with a lot of diseases which helps distinguish the disease form from the chronic. Thus, acute is used to tell a contrast from the chronic incarnation.
The acute disease can be deadly and lead to sudden death. Acute care is the care that is needed for any form of acute disease. The care needs to be fast and urgent. There is no specific period for a disease to be called acute. It depends on the chronic form of the disease if there exists some.
Acute diseases are also caused due to drug abuse and accidents. It is prevalent in old people as their immune system gets weaker over time. Many acute conditions can be treated rapidly and take less time to recover. Acute diseases show symptoms quickly, and they resolve as quickly as well.
What is Chronic Disease?
Chronic diseases take time to develop, and so do their symptoms. It can be due to the malfunction of the body, or it could be transmitted from others. Diseases like HIV/AIDS are examples of chronic diseases for which transmission is the reason. Chronic diseases may disappear for a short period but will reappear again when the bodily conditions are not right.
A lot of chronic diseases are non-communicable hence they are often considered non-infectious. It is not accurate in all cases as it may be communicable. One should take duration and causing factors to categorize any disease as chronic or acute. The reason for many chronic diseases is carelessness.
Some diseases like asthma, cancer, diabetes, etc., are typical examples of chronic diseases. One should not confuse chronic diseases with terminal diseases. Terminal diseases are those that persist for a long time and lead to death. It is, however, possible that a terminal disease changes to a chronic disease.
Due to scientific interventions or decline in pathogen efficacy, the disease can change to persistent. Diabetes is one example of a terminal disease that has turned into chronic. Diabetes was a terminal disease, but with the invention of insulin, it changed into a chronic disease. Chronic diseases are also those diseases whose symptoms are manageable.
Main Differences Between Acute and Chronic Diseases
- Acute diseases are a fast type of disease as they come within a minuscule period, whereas chronic disease takes time to develop.
- Chronic diseases are caused mainly due to negligence towards a healthy lifestyle, whereas acute diseases develop due to dereliction of duty.
- Acute diseases can be deadly, whereas most chronic diseases are curable.
- Acute diseases develop very rapidly and can be life-threatening at their peak, whereas a chronic disease develops moderately, and are the host gets out of danger aftercare treatment.
- Acute diseases give signs and symptoms as they emerge, whereas symptoms related to chronic disease come late or do not appear at all in some cases.
Conclusion
Many diseases are out there in the world. It can be lethal if not treated well in time. Many diseases are short-lived. And in that short span, they can wreak havoc on the host. It can be deadly in most cases if the disease is novel. Such diseases that live for a short period are called chronic diseases.
Chronic diseases often come with a clear sign in the form of symptoms. At the peak, chronic diseases can kill the host in case of negligence. Accidents are one of the reasons for chronic diseases. On the other hand, chronic diseases take their time to develop and sometimes show no symptoms until circumstances are out of control. If treated adroitly, we can cure chronic diseases. They are caused mainly due to negligence towards a healthy lifestyle.
References
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/1875958
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004010050472
- https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article-abstract/24/8/1390/21515