Acute and common chronic conditions
What’s the difference between acute and chronic conditions?
- Acute illnesses generally develop suddenly and last a short time, often only a few days or weeks.
- Chronic conditions develop slowly and may worsen over an extended period.
What are the causes of acute and chronic conditions?
A virus or an infection often causes acute conditions. However, they can also be caused by an injury resulting from a fall, an accident, or the misuse of drugs or medications.
Chronic conditions are often caused by unhealthy behaviours that increase the risk of disease—poor nutrition, inadequate physical activity, overuse of alcohol, or smoking. Social, emotional, environmental, and genetic factors also play a role. Ageing can also contribute to chronic conditions.
Examples of acute conditions
- Viruses, such as the flu.
- Infections
- Bronchitis
- Laryngitis
- Inflammation
- Injury
Examples of chronic conditions
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- COPD
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer