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An Acute Illness Isn't A Cute Disease ...

Updated: Oct 15




A Chronic Illness Isn't Either!



What is the difference between an acute illness and a chronic illness? 


The definition of an acute illness is that it has a recent and rapid onset, it has a short evolution, that is to say symptoms appear, change and worsen rapidly, and it is of short duration. It either resolves on its own or may lead to death unless appropriate care is given. It is the opposite of a chronic illness.


Some examples of pure acutes are: prolonged loss of sleep (perhaps you have a teething infant or a sick family member), burns, animal bites, a sprained ankle, a pulled muscle, mental shock, grief, loss, disappointment, the flu, injuries from a fall or a car accident and, surgeries, to name a few. As you can see most people would have a similar response to the the causes of these ailments. Homeopathy is very effective in the healing process of these types of ailments. This requires a short homeopathic acute evaluation.


A chronic illness has a slow evolution, so slow that often it isn’t apparent until diagnostic tests detect a problem or the symptoms impair one’s life. In our culture today we often see people who are suffering from several different chronic illnesses. Conventional medicine says that a disease is considered chronic if it has been affecting a patient’s life for 1 to 3 years. In homeopathy if symptoms are recurring  or have been going on for more than a month we look at it as a chronic illness, in most cases. 


Most of the time conventional medicine will tell you that a chronic illness cannot be cured, only managed. Homeopathic medicine however, seeks to assist a person’s defenses in healing chronic diseases and has proven to be very effective. This requires a longer chronic intake process. Although the diagnostic labels may be the same, different people have different symptoms pictures and different pathogenesis or causes leading to their disease picture. Knowing this information helps to choose the appropriate medicine. And,  we not only treat a diagnosis but the whole individual. 


There is a third category of disease which is an acute episode or exacerbation, of a chronic disease. These are things like warts, a flare up of arthritis symptoms, an asthma attack, shingles, psoriasis, etc. Any symptoms like these or symptoms that recur are likely connected to a chronic disease picture. Homeopathy is also effective here and also requires a chronic intake or a chronic follow up if already in chronic care,  in order to make sure the root of the problem is addressed.


You can think of chronic disease as a weed in your garden that you somehow missed and now it’s very large. As large as a tree. In order to eliminate it, you can hack at the leaves, cut off a few branches or you can kill the roots. Homeopathy seeks to get to the root of the problem, rather than hack at the leaves.


I hope this explanation has been clear. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.




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