You probably often hear the word 'infection'.
But do you really know what happens when there is an infection? Most people simply dismiss it as a 'disease'.
They could not care less what it is as long as they get treatment.
However, having some in-depth knowledge about infection can actually be beneficial.
For instance, understanding its causes will help you prevent it.
Also, learning the symptoms will help you identify an infection during its earliest stages.
So to help you, here is a list of some basic information about infection - these are information that matters and can help: Causes An infection is a reaction of the body from an invasion of disease-causing microorganisms.
The infection may be a direct reaction of the body from the presence of the microorganisms.
It may also be the result of the toxins that the invaders produce.
Most people also believe that infections are only caused by microorganisms such as virus and bacteria.
However, infection can also be caused by larger organisms such as fungi, protozoa, and macroparasites.
Symptoms The body may manifest different symptoms depending on the cause of the infection, part of the body affected, and severity of the condition.
Some common manifestations however include fever, inflammation, pus, cough, and others.
Sometimes however, an infection lies deep in the body (intestines, organs, passageways, etc.
).
In which case, symptoms may not be observable.
Generally, infections that are asymptomatic are termed 'occult infection'.
Duration An infection occurs because your body is fighting off the invasion.
This means that it is only a matter of time until your body gets rid of the infection.
But this is only the case with non-malignant infections.
Sometimes, the body needs assistance to fight off an infection - this why you go to a physician.
Some are easy to cure and do not last very long (acute).
Some however are more troublesome and take time to heal (chronic).
Treatment The drug administered to treat infection is different from one case to another.
The treatment differs depending on the cause of the infection.
Mostly however, the drug administered is a form of antibiotic.
Penicillin is one famous anti-infection drug.
It can be administered both orally and topically.
Oral intake of penicillin is meant to cure internal infections.
Topical application of penicillin on the other hand is used to treat external infections (e.
g.
infected wound).
Prevention Prevention usually consists of two parts: 1) adapting practices that prevent infectious microorganisms from entering the body and 2) strengthening the body's immune system so it can fight off disease-causing microorganisms when they enter the body.
The first part emphasizes the practice of proper hygiene above all else.
The second part may include the intake of food supplements and the adaptation of healthy living lifestyle (getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, practicing safe sex, etc.
).
And these are just some of the basic information about infections.
Of course, you can expand your research to help you combat infection more effectively.
This information will be very useful to you and your family.