Acute Diseases

At some point in our lives we will all experience a health problem, whether it's the common cold or a pesky flu. While some will go away on their own, there are health issues that require urgent medical attention, and it's important to know when to seek proper treatment.

What Is An Acute Disease?

An acute disease appears suddenly and lasts for a short amount of time. This is different from chronic diseases, which develop gradually and remain for months on end. Some examples include the influenza virus and the common cold.

Acute diseases can include these common symptoms:

    • Fever
    • Sore throat
    • Cough
    • Sneezing
    • Earache
    • Diarrhea
    • Runny nose
    • Nausea
    • Rash
    • Headache

Through a physical examination and identifying your symptoms, your doctor can provide a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan to care for your acute illness.

Serious Acute Illnesses

Many acute diseases can be self-limiting and may go away on their own, or can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics or other prescription medications. There are some acute diseases, however, that come on suddenly and produce life-threatening symptoms. These include:

    • Heart attack
    • Asthma attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Appendicitis
    • Acute bronchitis

These more serious acute diseases require urgent medical care. If you suspect you may have a severe acute illness, it's important that you call 911 or go to your local emergency room. By seeking treatment for your acute illness as soon as possible, you lessen the chance for further complications or other long-term health issues.

We will do our best to see you in the office when you call for a same day appointment, so if the illness does not appear life-threatening, call our office to see if we can help with a same day appointment.

If you don't have enough time to drive to the office, but still would like to see the doctor, some problems can be managed over a telemedicine appointment online. We offer telemedicine appointments for some medical problems or follow up visits, which can save you having to come into the office to see your provider.  Some problems cannot be managed via telemedicine, but you can call to find out if your symptoms are appropriate for a telemedicine appointment.

Contact Us

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If you have not set yours up, please contact the office at (936) 560-9595 for assistance.