Common Infectious Diseases

infectious agents

Infectious diseases have become a common concern as of late because of the COVID 19 pandemic. In fact, the pandemic has become such a serious threat that all other diseases have taken a back seat, at least for the moment. However, they are not gone. Some medical professionals have raised concerns over the issue. They believe that the coronavirus pandemic has become such a prominent issue that people have started to forget all the other infectious diseases, some of which can prove to be fatal if you permit them to go untreated.

 

What Causes Infectious Diseases?

bacteria

Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. You can get them from other people. For instance, if an infected person touches, sneezes, and coughs on you. You can also get infectious diseases through sexual contact. Sick individuals do not always manifest symptoms, which means that they may infect you with a disease without knowing it.

Some illnesses come from animals. A sick dog may pass a disease on to you by scratching you. Some people avoid animals for this very reason. Others got the infectious diseases that haunt them from their mothers.

insect bites

Not many people realize that a mother can infect an unborn child with germs. Other potential sources of infectious diseases include insect bites, contaminated food, and contact with a surface such as a door handle that an infected person touched.

 

Common Infectious Diseases

The easiest way to protect yourself from infectious diseases is to learn as much as you can about some of the common illnesses you may encounter down the line, including:

Influenza

influenza virus

Influenza is a very common ailment that is associated with symptoms such as a sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. For the most part, it isn’t dangerous. Most people will overcome influenza within a few days or weeks. However, the illness is not completely harmless.

It is a threat to the elderly. Small children and people with weakened immunities should also keep their guard up. The mild symptoms that it causes could eventually transform into something worse.

Chicken Pox

blisters

This illness is highly contagious, especially for patients that have never contracted the disease. This is why people are encouraged to get vaccinated for chickenpox. Individuals that have the ailment develop an itchy rash that is accompanied by blisters. Other symptoms include headaches, fever, and a loss of appetite, to mention but a few.

Depending on your health, chickenpox could pave the way for problems like dehydration, toxic shock syndrome, and pneumonia. Death is a possibility.

☑ E. Coli

coliform bacterium

You can contract E. Coli by eating uncooked meat and vegetables. The severity of the illness will vary depending on the person. Some people develop urinary tract infections. Others have to struggle with pneumonia, bloody diarrhea, and stomach aches. These symptoms can take up to ten days to manifest following the consumption of uncooked meat and vegetables.

☑ Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a dangerous infection that attacks the lungs, causing the air sacs to become inflamed. If pus fills those air sacs, the patient will come down with chills, fever, labored breathing, and incessant coughing. Some bouts of pneumonia are mild. But quite a few are dangerous. If your immune system is already weak, pneumonia can lead to death.

infected lungs

☑ Shigellosis

shigella infection

People contract this illness by interacting with contaminated substances like food, the fecal matter of a sick individual, and water. For that reason, shigellosis tends to attack young children, especially those that frequent public swimming pools. Some sick patients may struggle with diarrhea and fever. Others may overcome the illness without developing any symptoms.

Malaria

This disease comes from a parasite. People get malaria when an infected mosquito bites them. infected mosquito bitesSymptoms include chills, abdominal pain, vomiting, cough, and a high fever. Hundreds of thousands of people die from Malaria every single year.

Some people do not realize that you can get the disease from an infected person. The malaria patient cannot give you malaria. However, if a mosquito bites that patient, it can infect you and every other person it bites later on.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease. People that have gonorrhea have to struggle with discharge from various openings. Their joints may also swell. While the disease can cause infertility, you can keep it at bay using antibiotics.

sings and symptoms

 

Who Can Get Infectious Diseases?

infection spread

Many online drugstore reviews encourage their visitors to remain alert because no one is immune to infectious diseases, at least not all of them. However, some people are more vulnerable than others.

For instance, if you have a compromised immune system that doesn’t work all that efficiently, not only are you more likely to contract an infectious disease but it is more likely to kill you. That includes people with chronic illnesses and anyone who has to take medications that have a reputation for suppressing the immune system.

 

Do You Need Medical Assistance?

doctor visit

Many people read online drugstore reviews because they do not want to seek medical attention when they contract infectious diseases. They prefer to self-medicate. In truth, some illnesses do not require medical attention. So long as you remain hydrated, your body will recover.

But if you begin experiencing severe symptoms such as labored breathing, persistent coughing, swelling, and problems with your vision, to mention but a few, you should immediately see a doctor. You should also talk to a doctor if an animal bites you.

 

Conclusion

tips to avoid

Infectious diseases are not a joke. Even seemingly mild ailments like influenza can attract dangerous complications if the patient they have attacked has a weak immune system. This is the reason why it isn’t always a good idea to make online drugstore reviews your first stop whenever you fall sick.

Unless your symptoms are mild, you should always consult a doctor. Self-medication is problematic because most people do not know enough to attack the underlying diseases causing their symptoms. The best they can do is to alleviate the symptoms. But that allows the underlying disease to go untreated, which can lead to acute complications down the line.

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