Symptoms Of Infection
Last Updated: Apr 09, 2020
When there are changes in the appearance of the skin of a person it is usually due to a rash. In the majority of the cases the skin becomes itchy and red. Skin is often accompanied with other symptom like the skin feels hot when someone touches it. This hot sensation of the skin is due to an increased flow of the blood to the specific area of the skin as a response to inflammation. If a person is having a skin rash that is hot to touch then it may be an indication that a person might be suffering from a serious infection.
feeling cold or shivery
Alternation between muscle contraction and relaxation is the cause of shivering. It is the way of body to keep itself warm when someone is feeling cold. Most of the time chills are associated with the fever; however, this is not the case every time. It can observed just before a person suffers from fever. If a person is experiencing chills along with fever, then it is an indication that a person is suffering from an infection.
aching muscles
A muscle pain can start at any part of the muscles in the body. The medical term that is used to describe muscle pain is myalgia. A person may experience muscle pain due to inflammatory condition or the infection of the soft tissue. Pain throughout the body which is called systematic muscle pain occurs because of an infection. If a person is experiencing muscle pain then it be an indication that he/she is suffering from infection.
feeling tired
If a person is getting exhausted or drained out even after a normal sleep then it is a sign of fatigue. This tiredness or fatigue can be associated with a lot of infections that may be experienced by a person. Some of the examples are infectious mononucleosis, flu, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. If a person is feeling exhausted or tired then it is an indication that he/she is suffering from an infection.
stinging or pain when you pass urine
Dysuria is a condition in which a person experiences painful or burning urination. This burning sensation that a person is experiencing is caused by an infection. This symptom can appear in person who is suffering from sexually transmitted infection. however, this symptom is mostly accompanied with bacterial infection of the urinary tract. If a person feel this burning sensation while urinating then there is high possibility that he/she might be suffering from an infection.
diarrhoea
Apart from fever another most common symptom of infection is diarrhea. Some of the bacteria which cause infection and lead to the appearance of the symptom like diarrhea include salmonella, E.coli, campylobacter, and C. difficile. If a person is suffering from diarrhea then it is due to the infection in the gastrointestinal tract.
headache
Headaches are usually very common and there is nothing to worry about them. however, in addition to the headache if a person is suffering from fever then it may be a sign of infection that is serious in nature. A fever along with headache might indicate that the infection is either in the spinal cord or the brain. Some of the examples of central nervous system infection are brain abscess, encephalitis, and meningitis. Thus, if a person is experiencing any such symptom then he/she must consult the doctor immediately.
feeling confused or dizzy
Some of the non-specific symptoms of infection are dizziness and vomiting. It means that these symptoms are common in a lot of diseases. There are many infections of the stomach in which symptoms like dizziness and vomiting can be observed. Because of these infections a person suffers from gastroenteritis. This condition can be life threatening in some of the rare cases. If a person is experiencing dizziness he/she must consult the doctor to diagnose the possible cause of the symptom.
sore mouth or pain when swallowing
When a person wants to swallow a food then many nerves and muscles in the food pipe, throat, and mouth are involved. Majority of the people experience pain at least once in their lifetime while swallowing the food. Based on the cause the symptom of painful swallowing can range from dull to sharp. Throat infections are one of the most common cause of appearance of the symptom. If a person is experiencing pain while swallowing then he/she must report it to the doctor to check for the infection or illness causing it.
coughing or shortness of breath
A direct path into the bloodstream can be provided by a central line. This allows the germs to access the body. Some risk of infection is associated with all types of central line. Most of the time germs that can cause infection in the central line come from the skin of the person. There are two types of infections which may be caused due to central line. One is local infection while the other is systemic infection. In local infection a person might experience pain, swelling, and redness near the site of the central line.
pain, redness, discharge, swelling or heat at the site of a wound or intravenous line such as a central line or PICC line
One of the most dangerous bacterial infections is cellulitis. This infection affects the deep layers of the skin including dermis, subcutaneous tissue, fat, connected tissue from the bottom layer of the skin and the second layer of the skin. The condition of cellulitis can develop anywhere on the body. However, it mostly affects the skin of the lower leg in adults. it affects the neck and face in case of children.
pain anywhere in your body that was not there before your treatment
References
- Murdoch DR. Symptoms of infection and altitude illness among hikers in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 1995 Feb;66(2):148-51. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Bilbo SD, Drazen DL, Quan N, He L, Nelson RJ. Short day lengths attenuate the symptoms of infection in Siberian hamsters. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 2002 Mar 7;269(1490):447-54. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Arvastson B, Damgaard K, Winblad S. Clinical symptoms of infection with Yersinia enterocolitica. Scandinavian journal of infectious Diseases. 1971 Apr 1;3(1):37-40. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
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