Skin rash, shortness of breath and loss of appetite are some of the symptoms of infection.
What is Infection? What are the Symptoms?
Even if they are invisible to the naked eye, microscopic creatures that continue to exist in our environment can cause various diseases. In fact, some microorganisms continue their lives on the human body without causing any discomfort on the skin or along the digestive tract if the body resistance is not weakened. diseases are called infectious diseases. In the process following the formation of the disease, the defense system creates some responses against the focus of infection. In order to eliminate the disease agent by the cells responsible for immunity, the production of substances called antibodies and cytokines takes place.
Antibodies define molecules that are programmed to cause damage, aiming to terminate the viability of the disease-causing microorganism. Cytokines, on the other hand, enable various reflexes to be activated in the body and have a stimulating effect for more immune cells to take part in this fight.
As a result of the effects of cytokines, some signs and symptoms occur in the course of the infectious disease. The most common symptoms due to cytokines produced in excessive amounts during infection are an increase in body temperature, nausea-vomiting and fatigue.
Bacterial Infections
may cause infection in the area. The transmission of these organisms to humans can occur through air, water, food, or vectors used to identify organisms that carry and spread disease.
At the same time, many bacteria can colonize the body without causing an infectious disease. These bacteria are classified as bacteria found in the body's normal flora.
There are some criteria that give an idea about the course of the disease at the beginning and after of a bacterial disease. The disease-causing capacity of the bacterium is in response to its contagiousness and potential to cause harm. The ability of the white immune system to create an appropriate response against bacteria is one of the criteria used to evaluate the direction of bacterial infection.
Almost the entire human body can be invaded by bacteria. Some types of bacteria tend to cause disease only in certain tissues and organs of the body.
A symptom of shortness of breath may occur in pneumonia due to lung involvement. Symptoms such as headache and neck stiffness may occur due to the proliferation of bacteria and disease formation in the membrane structures surrounding the brain. As a result of the invasion of the hair roots by bacteria on the skin, formations called abscesses may occur.
Bacterial infections may in some cases expand into the bloodstream and spread. Defense attempts to be formed against bacteria that continue to multiply all over the body can cause more than the body can handle, causing multi-organ failure.
Viral Infections
While viruses do not show any signs of vitality in the external environment, They start their activities by attaching to the host cell, and the basis of these activities is to use the cell to which they are attached and the molecules in it to create copies of themselves.
The causative agent of influenza, which can cause epidemics in the winter months, is the influenza virus. This virus usually causes infection in the respiratory tract and can manifest itself with symptoms such as fever, chills, sweating, muscle aches, headache, cough and sore throat.
Herpes simplex virus is divided into 2 subspecies within itself. While it is detected that fluid-filled herpes occur in the mouth area with Type 1 Herpes virus, type 2 Herpes virus causes painful and itchy lesions in the genital area.
Some viruses target specific organs and even get their name from these features. As a word, hepatitis defines the inflammation that occurs in the liver. There are many subtypes of hepatitis viruses. In the disease picture caused by these viruses targeting the liver, weakness, nausea-vomiting, pain felt especially in the upper right region of the abdomen, loss of appetite, jaundice, tea-colored urination and light white stools can occur.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for warts occurring in various parts of the body. As with many viruses, there are many subtypes for HPV. While some types of HPV cause wart formation, some types are held responsible for the formation of genital cancers. Today, vaccines have been developed that can contribute to the prevention of cancers that may occur due to HPV.
Some types of viruses can directly target the immune system itself. Human immunodeficiency virus, namely HIV, may cause the death of defense cells and pave the way for the development of all infectious diseases in that person.
Fungal Diseases
Infectious diseases caused by fungi are opportunistic because they usually occur after the weakening of body resistance. called infections. Candida and aspergillosis are the most common fungal diseases. Thrush, which is usually seen in young children, is an example of fungal diseases that develop due to the candida species.
Aspergillus usually involves the lungs and can progress with findings such as chest pain and bloody sputum production as if stabbing a knife. Care should be taken in terms of a respiratory tract infection due to aspergillosis in people who have evidence of disease in their chest films and whose fever cannot be controlled despite antibiotic treatment and whose symptoms continue.
Infections Caused by Parasites
Parasites defines organisms that harm the living thing they live on or that sustain their life by using that living thing. Parasitic diseases are diseases that have affected millions of people around the world, especially in developing countries. In the transmission of parasites to humans, there is usually an intermediate form of carrier and this live vector is called. While the creatures considered as vectors for malaria are female mosquitoes, sandflies spread the disease in oriental boil disease. Considering the transmission route of the causative organism in infectious diseases, an idea can be obtained about which methods can be applied for the prevention of that infection.
The use of condoms in sexually transmitted diseases, the use of appropriate distance and disinfection methods in diseases transmitted by contact, the use of masks in order to prevent the spread of the disease during coughing, sneezing or chatting in diseases transmitted by droplets, and the person to act in accordance with the rules of isolation in airborne diseases are examples of methods that can be applied to prevent various infections.
In diseases spread by vectors, a decrease in the incidence of the disease can be achieved with the measures to be taken for intermediate organisms. .
How to Recognize Infection and Closed Wound?
Among all body structures, the most frequently traumatized organ by external factors is undoubtedly the skin. When the skin becomes open to the contamination of harmful microorganisms, it happens after the skin integrity is broken.
Some signs and symptoms on and around any wound may indicate that the wound is infected.
- Redness around the wound,
- Heat increase,
- Pain in the wound area,
- Edema,
- Bad wound smelly discharge,
- Healing is not fully achieved.
Fungal infection usually develops in wounds caused by burns, and antifungal drugs can be used in their treatment if the physician deems it appropriate. caused by bacteria In wound infections, creams containing antibiotics may be beneficial if prescribed by the physician.
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