What is the difference between acute and chronic symptoms?

In homeopathy, you will often hear the terms "acute" or "chronic" to describe symptoms. This can be somewhat confusing since they are differentiators that do not come up when you visit other practitioners. For the homeopath, however, it makes quite a bit of difference in the type or potency of remedy recommended, and what is to be expected for follow-up care as your symptoms are tracked over time.

Acute symptoms refer to things that occur suddenly and are brief. For instance: common colds, flus, coughs, injuries… these types of issues have a sudden onset, and are not expected to continue indefinitely. They have an endpoint, and homeopathy can help bring them to a resolution more quickly than would be expected.

Chronic symptoms refer to anything long-lasting: so this could include having allergies or illnesses that you get every year around the same time or multiple times per year, consistent injuries in the same area, sleep disruption, routine anxiety or depressive thoughts, or hormonal disruption. This list, however, is far from exhaustive. Chronic issues can also relate to underlying susceptibility that you may have in your genetic history; it can be dependent on your current state of health, outside stressors, or anything else that is a consistent disruption in your life.

Generally, chronic symptoms are of longer duration, but since genetic predisposition can be a factor, it is not uncommon for children to come to my practice with chronic symptoms at a young age because of genetic family history. Times of stress or intense acute illness can also be a catalyst for renewing old symptoms of childhood, or symptoms that are part of a broader family history. There is some good news, though - the individualized care of classical homeopathy has methods for helping in both acute and chronic illnesses.

Within my practice, I work with both types of health concerns. When working with me for chronic issues, my clients have the benefit of receiving care for acute illnesses that come up at no additional cost, and we can work on uprooting the susceptibility to their typical acute illnesses. Homeopathy works with the body, helping the body to recognize and unravel its symptoms so you can have increased vitality and quality of life.

What is the difference between acute and chronic symptoms?