Lesson One - Basic Principles
Acute vs. Chronic Illness
Pexels
Everyone has experienced acute illness multiple times in their lives. That time you woke up in the middle of the night and barely made it to the bathroom but were better the next day? That is classified as an acute illness. Everyone will experience some sort of acute illness at one time or another. The flu, a cold, or a stomach virus are all common acute illnesses.
In contrast, only 44% of adults in Canada over the age of 20 will experience chronic illness. While this number seems high, it is important to remember that the number of adults who will experience an acute illness is very near to 100%.