Acute Illness | An Overview

Illnesses

Illness can be defined as the unhealthy and abnormal conditions of the body. The term is also referred to as sickness. Illness is a feeling of unhealth entirely related to the person's interior. Often, it accompanies the disease; but the disease may be undeclared, as in the early stages of cancer, tuberculosis, or diabetes. Sometimes, illness occurs where no other disease can be found. In some cases, illness means temporary and minor disorders; but in other cases, it may have severe health effects. Illness can be acute and chronic in nature. Acute illness is the immediate and severe onset of the disease. Symptoms of the acute illness include fever, runny nose, cough, cold, sore throat, nausea, rash, etc. Appendicitis, strep throat, and heart attacks are examples of acute illness.

Injuries

Injuries mean harm to the body. Injury is damage/wounding that happens by accident due to sudden incidents in the work environment. Injury includes not only the physical condition, but also involves the psychological conditions of the body. In general, damage that occurs as a result of an accident, weapons, fall, etc. is known as injury. Sprain and strain are the injuries related to joints and muscles resulting from falls, slips, or other accidents of the same nature. Acute injury and overuse injuries are the categories of injuries. Some of the common examples of injury that we come across in the real world include fractures, knee injuries, head injuries, dislocation of joints, cuts, burns, drowning, rotator cuff injuries, sprains, accidental strangulation, animal bites, etc.

Injury is something that needs to be treated, while illness is something that requires management such as feelings of distress, pains, and fatigue. Amputation, cuts, and fractures are some of the examples of injuries. On the other hand, illnesses include both acute and chronic diseases, such as poisoning, respiratory diseases, and skin diseases.

A person with an amputated leg.

Skin diseases are illnesses resulting from the exposure of a worker's skin to the working environment, rich in chemicals and other substances. Respiratory problems are illnesses associated with breathing disorders due to inhalation of hazardous chemicals and dust particles.

Lesson Summary

Illnesses can be divided into two categories: acute and chronic illnesses. The word acute refers to sudden onset with regard to injury and illness. Acute illness can be explained as the abrupt onset of disease within the short course that required urgent care to recover. Acute illness can be cured on its own, but may need some medication. For example, the common cold resolves on its own. Some of the other examples of acute illnesses include burns, kitchen knife cuts, stab wounds, a broken bone, cold, flu, and strep throat. Chronic illness is the type that progresses slowly for a long time, has mild symptoms, and might have fatal health effects, such as tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, kidney disease, renal failure, arthritis etc. Acute diseases can be turned into chronic diseases if not treated properly and persist for a long period of time. Injury is something that needs to be treated; while illness is something that requires management, such as feelings of distress, pains, and fatigue. Amputation, cuts, fractures, and a broken bone are some of the examples of acute injuries. On the other hand, illnesses include both acute and chronic diseases, such as poisoning, respiratory diseases, and skin diseases.