Acute and Chronic Diseases

Introduction

A disease is any adverse change from an organism’s usual anatomical, genetic, or physiological state. An illness is accompanied by a distinctive collection of signs and symptoms that are illustrative of that specific condition and aid in its diagnosis and treatment. Diseases can be acquired, congenital, communicable, non-communicable, chronic, and acute diseases. Medical science has cured some of the diseases while some diseases are not curable and hence prove to be fatal. 

Classification of disease

Various diseases can be classified based on the source of detection, causative agents, medium of infection, Duration, Communicability, and Extent.

Based on Communicability there are two types of diseases-

• Communicable disease-These diseases are contagious and are brought on by microbes like bacteria, fungi, viruses, worms, and protozoans. For eg COVID-19, chickenpox, cholera,
• Non- Communicable disease-These are not contagious and do not pass from person to person. These bind the person who contracts them inside. Cataracts, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, and heart conditions are a few examples.

 Based on duration there are two types of diseases-

• Acute diseases-These illnesses are severe, last very briefly, are typically curable with appropriate medical care, and the patient regains their normal bodily functions after being treated. Common colds, fractures, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. are a few examples. Chronic diseases can develop from acute illnesses if they are not treated on time. 

• Chronic diseases- These illnesses last three years or longer before they are diagnosed. Depending on the organism’s immunity, the disease’s stage of development, the organ or organ system that is affected, and other factors, they may be curable. Such illnesses have the potential of being deadly and incurable. Examples include high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, arthritis, and cancer etc.

Differentiate between Acute diseases and Chronic diseases

Acute diseases	Chronic diseases
Generally spread from one infected individual to another.	They do not usually spread from one infected individual to another.
These are generally communicable diseases	These diseases are generally non-communicable diseases
These are caused due to contaminated food, water, vectors or from direct or indirect contact with an infected person.	They are caused due to genetic, allergic, deficiencies or environmental factors.
People who are unvaccinated, immunosuppressed or who are constantly travelling to the infected regions have a high risk of getting this disease.	People who show various comorbidities such as high blood pressure, obesity, and various metabolic disorders are at high risk of getting these diseases.
Poor living conditions, underdeveloped healthcare systems and lack of cleanliness are responsible for these kinds of diseases.	Behavioural factors, Poor dietary habits and Genetic factors are responsible for these kinds of diseases.
Eg- COVID-19, SARS, Chlorella, TB etc	Eg- Cancer, HIV, Diabetes etc

Diseases due to environmental changes

Polluted environment is one of the main factors for diseases to occur. Some of these are explained below.

• Air pollution: Respiratory disorders such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, acute lower respiratory infections, etc. are caused by harmful gases in the air such as sulphates, nitrates, together with VOC, PM and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• Water pollution: Several pathogenic bacteria can cause cases of botulism, dysentery, cholera, giardiasis, amoebiasis, naegleriasis, etc. These are caused due to contaminated water as  sewage sources, swimming pools, or untreated drinking water containing all different kinds of microbes.
• Toxins- The presence of lead, arsenic, and mercury in the environment are some  toxins, and they cause various diseases including malignancies like mesothelioma and melanoma, cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, kidney ailments, and cerebrovascular diseases.

Summary

Disease is a state of the body that deviates from its usual state. There are many different ways to categorise diseases, including according to how long they have persisted, what caused them, how they spread, and how contagious they are.Acute disorders manifest abruptly and last only briefly. Chronic diseases are those that take longer to develop, last for a year or, occasionally for a lifetime. A healthy person can contract a communicable disease from an infected person using a variety of carriers, such as air, water, and animals. Cardiovascular diseases, CRDs, cancer, and diabetes are examples of non-communicable diseases that cannot be passed from one person to another. Pollution in the environment can also cause diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do zoonotic illnesses mean?
Ans: Diseases which are caused by animals.i.e. animals carry disease-causing microbes such as bacteria or viruses are known as zoonotic illness. These diseases can be spread by scratches, body fluids etc. Eg- malaria, rabies, zika virus etc.

2. Explain the terms- Pathogen, Pathogenesis.
Ans: Pathogen- Any organism which causes disease is known as a pathogen eg- virus, fungus, bacteria etc.

Pathogenesis- It is a series of events which occur between the entry of the pathogen inside the body  and spread of the disease in the body.

3. How can the  transmission of communicable illness be prevented?
Ans: It is crucial to improve one’s personal hygiene as well as societal awareness and societal hygiene. Vaccinations have already contributed to the global eradication of several serious diseases.