Many people understand what infections may look like, but they don’t necessarily know the actual causes of them. We often take infections for granted, assuming they are simply buildups of pus or other bodily fluids. However, there is much more to it than that. Your body could be called a host because it plays home to a bacteria or germ that actually leads to the infection itself. Often referred to as an infectious agent, the bacteria or germ is actually a pathogen. It is not meant to be in the body, and when it is, it causes problems.
Infections can actually affect almost any part of the body and we all experience them at one time or another. Infection causes can result in a number of different things including virus or bacteria.
This category includes infection causes are those that come from a virus such as the cold. They come from inhaling the virus, getting bitten by infected parasites, or contracting the virus through sexual contact. There are numerous different types of infections that fall into this category. The most common of these would be viruses that affect the airways including the lungs, nose, and throat.
Other common viral infections include:
While most viral infection causes affect just one part of the body, some become systematic. This means they can affect different parts of the body at the same time.
Other types of infections can be caused by bacteria. There are more than five nonillion (that translates to one followed by 30 zeroes) bacteria on the earth according to scientific estimates and many of them could be infection causes. And, when these bacteria invade the body, they can cause a variety of different infections. In fact, these types can be so severe that they have caused epidemics that swept through and decimated populations. Bacterial infection causes include:
The most common parts of the body affected by bacterial infections include the brain, the ear, the lungs, the upper respiratory tract, the stomach, the eye, the sinuses, the urinary tract, the genitals, and the skin.
Finally, there are also fungal infection causes that almost always affect the skin. Essentially, fungi can reproduce on the skin’s surface. However, these infections can also affect the mouth, the lungs, the vagina, and the intestines. Certain patients are especially susceptible to fungal infections, including those who have been receiving chemotherapy, those with HIV/AIDS, elderly individuals, and those with otherwise weakened immune systems.
Fungal infections that affect the skin can be broken down into three types:
Infections and infectious diseases may often seem minor, however, they result in millions of deaths worldwide every year. Without proper treatment, they can be very serious, especially in particular forms. They are caused by viral pathogens, bacteria, and fungus and they can affect almost any part of the body.
If you have a loved one in a nursing home who has been suffering from chronic infections or who has an untreated infection, then it may be worth contacting an attorney who has experience with nursing home neglect and abuse. You need to look out for the rights of your loved one, and that includes taking legal recourse if required. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect can happen in almost any situation due to a number of factors including understaffed teams and improperly trained staff as well.
Resources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196271.php
http://www.medicinenet.com/viral_infections_pictures_slideshow/article.htm