Chronic (long-term) or acute (sudden and short-term) diseases can negatively impact your quality of life and physical and mental health if not diagnosed and treated on time. At Pinnacle Healthcare Services in Alexandria, Virginia, we have board-certified and highly competent medical providers specializing in chronic and acute illness treatment and management. With our prompt and personalized care, we can help manage your condition, ease your symptoms, and enhance your quality of life.
If you are looking for an acute and chronic illness treatment center near you, contact Pinnacle Healthcare Services today to schedule an appointment.
What Is the Difference Between Chronic and Acute Disease?
Acute Disease
Acute conditions occur suddenly with severe symptoms. Various illnesses can be treated with therapies, but the treatment of the major disease depends on its severity. Some common acute conditions/diseases include:
- Bronchitis
- Sports-related injuries
- Strep throat
- Allergies
- Influenza
- Insect bites
- Pneumonia
- Broken bones
- Common cold
- Burns
Chronic Disease
Chronic conditions develop slowly over time. Most chronic illnesses cannot be cured completely, but treatment can help manage your symptoms and prevent them from aggravating.
Some common chronic conditions/diseases include:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Arthritis
- High cholesterol
- Stroke
- Asthma
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Osteoarthritis
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Bipolar disorder
- Obesity
- Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD)
What Can Cause Chronic or Acute Disease to Manifest?
Causes of acute diseases are:
- Viral infections
- An injury resulting from a fall or accident
- Misuse of medications or drugs
Causes of chronic diseases are:
- Social, emotional, environmental, and genetic factors
- Poor nutrition
- Physical inactivity
- Age
- Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
Can a Disease Be Acute and Chronic?
Chronic disease can suddenly present acute symptoms, while the condition can become chronic. Some infections can progress from an acute phase (symptoms appear and resolve after the initial exposure) to a chronic phase (infection persists but progresses less aggressively). For example, Hepatitis C and Syphilis occur with acute symptoms that disappear on their own within a few days, giving the impression that they have resolved. However, these infections can silently and slowly progress and produce severe complications like Tertiary Syphilis or liver failure if not treated.
Similarly, chronic conditions such as Psoriasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis can present acute symptoms that disappear spontaneously. Some chronic diseases such as Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and HIV will never manifest acutely and can often be detected and treated before symptoms appear.
Does My Health Insurance Cover Chronic Illness Treatment?
Acute conditions may be inexpensive to treat, so most health insurance policies do not cover them. On the other hand, chronic conditions are long-term illnesses that can be expensive to treat, and health insurance policies may reimburse the treatment costs.
However, whether you can get full or partial reimbursements for chronic disease treatment solely depends on your health insurance plan. Check with your insurance provider to see exactly what is covered.
Acute and Chronic Conditions FAQs
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic illness that causes significant, long-term stress to patients, impacting their quality of life.
Chronic illnesses may never go away and can impact your life in several ways. However, you can work with your primary care doctor to manage your symptoms.
Acute illnesses can produce life-threatening symptoms depending on the severity of the infection or disease or if not treated promptly.
The acute disease can become chronic if it is not treated on time, letting it persist and slowly develop.
