Bacterial Infections :-
The bacterial infections are lead by bacteria, a kind of microorganisms that aremade of only one cell. Bacteria live in all kinds of the environment involving very hot and cold conditions. Millions of bacteria are available in the environment around us, on our body and inside it.
Bacteria are harmful and useful to us both. Actually, only a small number of bacteria are reason for illnesses. Many are beneficial, like those involved in immunity, digestion, and production of antibiotics and food products.
Useful Bacterial :-
Bacteria are necessary for digestion of food. There are some bacteria that fight diseases and those that help make healthful food.
Some examples of good bacteria include :
1. Lactobacillus is used in making of yogurt and cheese.
2. Escherichia coli are in intestines and help in digestion of food, and production of vitamin K.
3. Bacteroides the taiotaomicron and Bacteroides fragilis live in the gut and helps us in the digestion of carbohydrates and sugar transport and utilization.
Bacterial Infections Causes & Risk Factors :-
Some bacteria give rise to illness. They occupy and fastly multiply in the body to form colonies.
When this happens in the respiratory tract, the following diseases may take place :
1. Pharyngitis - Streptococcus pyogenes
2. Diphtheria - Corynebacterium diphtheria
3. Pertussis -
Bordetella pertussis
4. Tuberculosis - Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria involve :
1. Peptic ulcers - Helicobacter pylori
2. Enteric (typhoid) fever - Salmonella typhi
3. Gastroenteritis -
Shigella, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli
Bacteria cause infections of the nervous system like :
1. Meningitis -
Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitidis
2. Tetanus -
Clostridium tetani
3. Botulism -
Clostridium botulinu
Urogenital infections caused by bacteria involve :
1. Urinary tract infections - Escherichia coli
2. Gonorrhea -
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
3. Chlamydia -
Chlamydia trachomatis
4. Syphilis -
Treponema pallidum.
Bacteria also give rise to skin infections like :
1. Leprosy - Mycobacterium leprae.
2. Abscess - Staphylococcus aureus.
Bacterial Infections Signs & Symptoms :-
Bacterial infection symptoms may depend on the condition, the organ affected, and the kind of bacteria causing the infection.
Investigation :-
The detection of bacterial infections would depend on the symptomatic history of the patient.
The tests that may be done like :
1. Physical examination,
2. Blood tests,
3. Urine tests,
4. Urine culture,
5. Gram stain to identify bacteria,
6. Toxin assay to see for the toxins made by the bacteria,
7. Culture or biopsy of the tissue infected.
Bacterial Infections Treatment :-
The treatment will turn on the kind of infection. Antibiotics are commonly suggested to act on bacterial infections. These are medicines that harm the bacteria. They can be given in the oral or injectable form.
Some antibiotics that can be prescribed for a bacterial infection may involve :
1. Amoxicillin,
2. Azithromycin,
3. Doxycycline,
4. Ofloxacin,
5. Tetracycline,
6. Gentamycin,
7. Metronidazole,
8. Clindamycin.
Supportive therapy may be required for other symptoms, like fever.
Complications & When to See a Doctor :-
The difficulties will depend on the kind of bacterial infection.
Antibiotics should be taken properly and for the duration, they are prescribed for. Taking them too often, taking them without a recommendation or not taking the full course of treatment may give rise to a development of antibiotic resistance, where antibiotics fail to harm bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance makes treatment of bacterial infections hard and can prolong the illness and seriouness.