Acute Vs. Chronic Conditions - MedlinePlus

Home » What Is An Acute Illness » Acute Vs. Chronic Conditions - MedlinePlus

Maybe your like

Skip navigation

Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

You Are Here: Home → Medical Encyclopedia → Acute vs. chronic conditions URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/18126.htm Acute vs. chronic conditions Acute vs. chronic conditions

Overview

Acute conditions are severe and sudden in onset. This could describe anything from a broken bone to an asthma attack. A chronic condition, by contrast is a long-developing syndrome, such as osteoporosis or asthma. Note that osteoporosis, a chronic condition, may cause a broken bone, an acute condition. An acute asthma attack occurs in the midst of the chronic disease of asthma. Acute conditions, such as a first asthma attack, may lead to a chronic syndrome if untreated.

Review Date 1/1/2025

Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Learn how to cite this page

Tag » What Is An Acute Illness