While pain comes in many forms and affects people differently, it typically can be classified as either acute or chronic. Do you know the difference? Pain brought on by injury or disease, that goes away when the underlying cause of pain has been treated or has healed, and that disappears in a reasonable amount of time is considered acute. Most acute pain comes on quickly and is described as sharp. Acute pain may be mild and brief, or severe and last up to several months. Unrelieved acute pain can lead to chronic pain. Chronic pain, now considered a disease on its own, continues even after the injury heals, and lasts more than six months. Review these questions and learn more.