Question

Write an account about acute and chronic diseases.

Answer 1

As people age, they become more susceptible to various health conditions, such as flu, arthritis, and heart failure. This is because our bodies, organs, and immune systems are becoming increasingly weaker over time, causing more frequent bouts of disease.

Complete answer:
A disease is a specific abnormal disorder that affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism without being caused by an external injury. Medical disorders with particular signs and symptoms are often referred to as diseases.

Pathology is the scientific study of illness. It entails determining the disease's origin (aetiology), understanding the disease's development mechanisms (pathogenesis), the physiological changes associated with the disease process (morphological changes), and the functional implications of those changesIt is important to correctly classify the cause of a disease in order to determine the appropriate treatment.

The conditions that we develop are often categorised as either chronic or acute.
Acute diseases generally develop suddenly and last for a short time, often just a few days or weeks.
Chronic conditions develop slowly and may worsen over a longer period of time—months to years.

Causes: Acute conditions are often caused by a virus or infection, but can also be caused by injury resulting from a fall or car accident, or by misuse of drugs or medicines.

Chronic conditions are often caused by unhealthful behaviours that increase the risk of disease—poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, overuse of alcohol, or smoking. Social, emotional, environmental and genetic factors also have a role to play. People are more likely to develop one or more chronic conditions as they age.

Symptoms and Treatment:
Acute diseases occur quickly and are accompanied by distinct symptoms that require urgent or short-term care and improve once they are treated. For example, a broken bone that may result from a fall must be treated by the doctor and healed in time. Sometimes an acute illness, such as a common cold, just goes away on its own. Most people with acute illnesses will recover soon.

Chronic conditions are slower to develop, may progress over time, and may have a number of warning signs or no signs at all. Common chronic conditions include arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease. In contrast to acute conditions, chronic health conditions cannot be cured—only controlled.

Controlling (or managing) symptoms of a chronic condition can often be done by setting up a health care plan in partnership with your physician—the plan may include taking medication, healthy eating, physical or occupational therapy, exercise, or complementary treatments, such as acupuncture or meditation.

Chronic conditions can often be prevented by practising healthy lifestyle behaviours such as staying physically active; maintaining a healthy weight and nutritional status; limiting exposure to sunlight; and avoiding drugs, smoking, and excessive alcohol use.

Acute conditions
- Asthma attack
- Broken bone
- Bronchitis
- Burn
- Common cold

Chronic conditions
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Arthritis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Heart disease

Note: We can therefore conclude that chronic diseases are more dangerous than acute diseases and that they need proper care, attention and research because they affect the patient both mentally and physically.