acute and chronic diseases

science class 9

1. Acute and chronic disease By-Chetana Nikam

2. Acute diseases A disease which occurs suddenly and lasts only a few days is termed as acute disease. One of the most common examples of acute disease is the common cold and we can treat such diseases with medical treatments or my home made remedies. But it can, if ignored, turn into chronic disease. This disease can occur all over the body. Examples: the first asthma attack is acute which later turns chronic. Strep throat, broken bone, appendicitis, influenza, pneumonia, etc. are some of the acute diseases .

3. Causes and symptoms of acute diseases Acute disease is mainly caused by a virus or an infection, but it can also occur by an injury from fall or automobile accidents and many more. It can also occur by misuse of drugs of medication.  As acute disease occurs in a very short interval, so it is accompanied by certain specific symptoms also. Some of the common symptoms of acute disease are discussed below: 1. Acute illnesses like common cold show symptoms like fever, headache, and running nose.  2. A broken bone that might result from a fall must be treated by a doctor and will heal in time.

4. Examples of acute diseases Asthma attack: An asthma attack is caused by the tightening of muscles around your airways Broken bone: A bone fracture is a partial or complete break in the continuity of a bone Bronchitis: Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi in the lungs that causes coughing.  Burn: Burns are   tissue damage from heat, overexposure to radiation, chemical or electrical contact Common cold: A common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract Flu: Influenza, commonly called "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses Heart attack: A heart attack is caused due to damage to the heart muscle caused by a loss of blood supply due to blocks in the arteries Pneumonia: An infection of the air sacs in one or both the lungs. Characterized by severe cough with phlegm, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing Respiratory infection: Respiratory tract infections are infectious diseases involving the respiratory tract Strep throat: A bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils that generally causes throat irritation

5. Chronic diseases The disease which occurs over a time and lasts for a longer duration sometimes it continues till lifetime, this is termed as chronic disease. Conditions in which disease lasts for more than three year is termed as chronic disease. In this disease, in its early stage symptoms are very mild as it progresses slowly and gradually and keeps damaging our body. Sometimes it is life threatening too. There are so many life threatening chronic diseases, they are:  Elephantiasis, Hepatitis C, HIV, arthritis, diabetes mellitus . All these chronic diseases occur due to various factors like age, gender, an unhealthy lifestyle, etc. It may be both curable and not curable, and it cannot be prevented by vaccines as well. 

6. Causes and symptoms of chronic diseases Some of the major cause of chronic disease are listed below: Unhealthy diet Excessive energy intake No physical activity Use of tobacco Excessive smoking and intake of alcohol Heredity Increased glucose levels and blood pressure Some of the common symptoms of chronic disease are: pain, fatigue, and mood disorders. 

7. Prevention against chronic diseases Some of the preventive measure which we can take against chronic disease are: We all should avoid smoking, alcohol and tobacco. By doing this we can prevent cancer. We all know obesity is the major cause of many diseases. By controlling body weight we can prevent several harmful diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancers of kidney, breast, colon, endometrium, etc. By doing daily physical workout helps in reducing body weight and prevents a number of diseases. By taking a healthy diet we can prevent ourselves from dangerous diseases.

8. Difference between acute and chronic diseases A cute diseases These diseases occur suddenly. They last for a shorter period. They cause sudden damage to the body. The onset is sudden and often treatable. However, other underlying conditions can also affect the outcome of the disease E.g. Typhoid, bone fracture, heart attack, cholera, common cold, jaundice, malaria, etc. Chronic diseases They occur over a prolonged period. They last longer, even for a lifetime. They cause long term damage to the body of the patient. Chronic diseases progress gradually and usually end up causing long term damage to organs and organ systems. In some cases, it can become fatal Eg. Diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, arthritis,

9. Thank you