What is the difference between chronic and acute medical conditions?
A medical condition or disease is chronic if it persists for longer than three months, according to the United States National Center for Health Statistics. It’s acute if it has a rapid onset and a short duration.
What is acute disease management?
Dr. Zakhary makes every effort to ensure he provides efficient and effective treatments for patients with numerous acute conditions.
Many acute conditions are managed and fixed with simple treatments, such as medication and rest, and an initial and follow-up office visit.
Conditions that are acute include:
- Tonsillitis
- Bronchitis
- Ear infection
- Gastroenteritis
- Urinary tract infection
- Muscle strains and injuries
- Upper respiratory infection
- Back pain lasting less than three months
- Certain skin care and dermatology concerns
What is chronic disease management?
Dr. Zakhary offers an integrative approach to managing ongoing illnesses. Chronic disease management includes:
- Testing and screenings
- Monitoring disease progression
- Evaluating and coordinating treatments
- Education about how to live with your condition and ways to improve your symptoms
- Implementing healthy lifestyle changes to improve your overall health and quality of life
Chronic disease management often incorporates preventive and wellness care. Dr. Zakhary also includes numerous additional factors in managing your chronic disease, such as:
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Sleep quality
- Stress management and meditation
- Your overall wellness and happiness
What are some of the most common chronic diseases?
Some of the most common chronic diseases include:
- Arthritis
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- High cholesterol
- Chronic kidney disease
- Alzheimer’s and dementia
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
While chronic diseases can afflict people of any age, they’re more common in the aging population. According to the National Council of Aging, around 80% of older adults have a chronic disease.
Dr. Zakhary supports you through the phases of your chronic disease and focuses on you as a person, rather than just your illness. The A-Z Internal Medicine team utilize the best quality equipment for specialized testing and screenings to keep on top of your health and ensure your treatment is working.
Dr. Zakhary treats both chronic and acute conditions and values helping patients achieve the best quality of life while living with even the most complex chronic diseases. To visit Dr. Zakhary, call or book your appointment online.
