What infects us? The seven most common diseases worth remembering all year round

The words infection or contamination to non-medical professionals has recently come to be associated with COVID-19. Of course, such an association is the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, while according to the definition, infection / infection is the intrusion into the body of pathogenic microorganisms and their multiplication, which may result in a disease. Bacteria, viruses and parasites not only cause disease, but can also remain in our body despite treatment. We talk to a family medicine specialist, Dr. n. med. Paweł Lewek, head of the Le-Med clinic in Łódź.

1. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us all know more about viruses, how they spread, and how to avoid
2. So let’s keep this knowledge and use it forever to avoid those more popular viruses and bacteria to which we have been exposed for a long time, all year round.
3. So what to do to never get strep throat or herpes again?
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Chickenpox and shingles

Both diseases are caused by one virus – varicella-zoster virus (VZV). After the first contact with this herpesvirus, we get chickenpox.

– We recognize the windbreaker by its characteristic blooms that change day by day – says Dr. Lewek. – First, we are dealing with point redness, then bubbles are formed, then pus comes up, pimples are formed, which become scabbed over time. Eventually the scab comes off and a red spot lesion remains. Day after day, the eruptions keep growing until the entire body is dotted with them.

Treatment of chickenpox can take up to 3 weeks. Your doctor will prescribe medications to reduce itching. In children without immune deficiencies, the air rifle is able to self-limit and pass. But that doesn’t mean we say goodbye to the herpes virus once the symptoms have cleared.

1. Smallpox in children – symptoms, treatment and course of the disease. How long does smallpox last?

The pathogen hides in our body and remains there for the rest of our lives. It lurks in ganglia, e.g. in the trigeminal ganglion, the branch of which is the optic nerve.

VZV may never flare up again, but may come back as shingles. The name of shingles is associated with the place where the symptoms are most common – halfway down the waist on one side, although they can also affect the face, neck or shoulders.

Shingles is a rather severe disease – first we deal with pain, burning and itching, sometimes with photophobia, headaches and malaise. Soon there is also a rash on the erythematous basis. A characteristic feature is neuralgia of the affected skin, which may last up to several months after the rash has disappeared.

A person with shingles can be infected with chickenpox, so people who have not had it should avoid contact with those who are sick. VZV may reactivate when our immunity is weakened, e.g. as a result of cancer, HIV infection, chronic viral or bacterial infection, during immunosuppressive treatment (e.g. after transplantation), stress or depression may also play a role. The likelihood that the virus will become active increases after the age of 50. Our immune system may weaken with age.

Shingles attacks are most common once in a lifetime, but there have been reports of more relapses. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people who have had chickenpox will develop shingles.

– To sum up, we can get shingles more than once, and people with normal immunity suffer from chickenpox only once – says Dr. Lewek. – The first time we get infected by droplets. Vaccination against VZV is now available in Poland. It is worth considering vaccinating the child, because the parent can avoid a 3-week absenteeism from work, when he will have to take care of his child, and the child will not get sick with a windbreaker or shingles. This vaccination is free of charge for selected groups of children, e.g. those attending a nursery.

– A child can be vaccinated from the age of 9 months. The vaccine is a two-dose vaccine with a 6-week interval between doses – adds Dr. Lewek. However, it is not yet available in Poland.

Streptococcal angina

Streptococcal angina is caused by group A beta-haemolytic streptococci. It is most common in children aged 3 to 25 years, and the infection is spread by droplets. It is unlikely that you will become infected through contact with objects the patient has touched with angina. On the other hand, statistics show that the risk of infection from a sick family member is approx. XNUMX%.

You can also be an asymptomatic carrier of Streptococcus pyogenes (beta-hemolytic streptococcus causing purulent pharyngitis, i.e. angina). Approximately 12–23 percent are asymptomatic carriers. children and 5 percent adults.

– Especially in the spring season, there are a lot of angina – says Dr. Lewek. – Pyogenic streptococcus lives in the mouth and is most often activated by infection at this time. It is very common for children to experience angina after eating ice cream or when they drink something cold on a hot day. Bacteria activate with generally weaker immunity.

Symptoms of angina are severe sore throat combined with problems with swallowing, a fairly high fever of 38 – 39 degrees Celsius, the appearance of exudate on the tonsils, a raspberry tongue. Characteristic is the lack of cough. We treat streptococcal angina with an antibiotic.

– You have to take the appropriate antibiotic for 10 days – says the doctor. – And then there is a chance that the disease will go away for a long time. However, streptococcal angina like to come back. There are people who suffer from recurrent strep throat.

Infectious mononucleosis

The disease is caused by a virus from the herpes family: EBV (Epstein-Barr virus), and is in season during the summer months. The infection occurs through contact with people with mononucleosis, as the virus is mainly excreted in saliva.

– It is mainly a disease of adolescents and young adults, otherwise known as the kissing disease – says Dr. Lewek.

Once infected, the virus enters the oral mucosa and throat where it multiplies. It infects B lymphocytes, which spread the infection among themselves and then throughout the lymphatic system (liver, spleen, lymph nodes).

– It is a type of pharyngitis that can affect the entire body – describes Dr. Lewek. – A characteristic symptom is a very sore throat with a high fever, which is why this disease is sometimes confused with streptococcal angina. If a patient is mistakenly administered penicillin antibiotics, a characteristic rash often develops on the skin of the whole body.

1. Infectious Mononucleosis – Symptoms and Treatment. How to distinguish it from strep throat?

In approx. 80 percent. of cases, primary asymptomatic infection occurs (especially in young children), only a small percentage of those infected develop the disease. After primary infection, in people with normal immunity, EBV remains dormant in the body for life. About 90 percent. of the population are carriers of the virus.

– Antiviral treatment in mononucleosis is not recommended, so you need to lie down. – notes Dr. Lewek. – In more severe cases, antibodies are given in hospital. We also do not have a vaccine, and the disease does not immunize against the repeated development of the infection. In addition, mononucleosis can cause complications in the form of enlargement of the spleen or liver, so the patient should stay at home. Fortunately, complications are rare and the disease itself is often asymptomatic.

Herpes

Herpes is caused by HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus). WHO statistics say that about 67 percent. of the population under 50 are infected with HSV-1, and 13 percent. people aged 15 – 49 years – HSV-2.

HSV-1 is responsible for infections in the face – mouth and upper body, and HSV-2 causes symptoms in the genital area. The infection occurs through contact with an asymptomatic or sick person (HSV is in the secretions), the pathogen enters the body through the mucosa or damaged skin. We most often become infected with HSV-1 in childhood, and with HSV-2 after sexual activity.

After entering the body, the virus lurks in sensory neurons to activate under favorable conditions.

– You have to be prone to herpes because not everyone is susceptible to it – notes the doctor. – We become infected with HSV-1, usually directly from an asymptomatic host. The virus is most common in the mucous membranes of the mouth and skin around the mouth, but cold sores can also occur in the nasal cavity and other parts of the body. Unfortunately, the disease often recurs, so you can say that we are doomed to this virus once it appears.

It’s best to counteract cold sores when your skin starts to itch and you feel it’s about to appear. You need to start taking medications or apply a suitable cream on the lesion – everything is available at a pharmacy without a prescription.

Kurzajki on the feet and hands

Kurzajki is the common name of a viral wart that arises after infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus. Currently, we know over a hundred different types of HPV. The virus multiplies among others in epithelial and epidermal cells, causing lumpy lesions with a keratinized surface. Getting rid of warts can be difficult because they have a tendency to flare up.

Kurzajki on hands or feet are not dangerous, but they are disfiguring. They may also be sore or itchy.

– We become infected with them through direct contact, e.g. shaking hands with a person who already has this wart – says Dr. Lewek. – We can also infect animals with this virus and vice versa.

Swimming pools, saunas, changing rooms in sports facilities or beauty salons are places where we are very likely to become infected – wherever it is easier for two people to accidentally come into contact with each other.

1. Wart on the foot – causes, treatment, home remedies for warts on the feet

– HPV viruses are highly infectious, but there must also be a certain predisposition to infection, because not everyone is prone to catching warts – adds the doctor. – To get rid of warts forever, it’s best to freeze it. My practice shows that freezing with liquid nitrogen is the most effective. The wart must be removed where it appears. There are also laser therapy, electrocoagulation or preparations with fluorouracil. Interestingly, most viral warts go away on their own after 2 years.

Owsiki

Human pinworms are parasites that live in the large intestine. They resemble white, thin and long threads. They are from a few millimeters to over a centimeter long, so you can see them with the naked eye. An infected child is irritable, restless, has headaches, and cannot sleep at night, scratches, squirms. Lack of sleep can lead to dark circles under the eyes of a child. In adults, the main symptom is itching around the anus, there may also be abdominal pain, less often loose stools.

Infection occurs without proper hygiene, when we wash our hands too infrequently or inaccurately, as pinworm eggs can be everywhere. The source of infection may be contact with a towel, bed linen and clothes of the sick person. The pinworm eggs can be on the toilet seat or in the bathtub. It is also possible to get infected with oatmeal through droplets, because the eggs are so small and light that they float in the air.

1. It is not just a disease of young children. Oatmeal can also appear in an adult

– Pinworms are very easy to get infected. They most often affect children in preschool and school age, although they can also affect adults – says Dr. Lewek. – Drugs for pinworms are available at the pharmacy without a prescription, it is important to treat the whole family.

In the case of pinworms, reinfection is common. Young children carry the eggs to their mouth after scratching around the anus.

– It is best to consult your family doctor – advises Dr. Lewek. – Tells you how to test the cellophane tape. Parents who suspect pinworms in their children often want to have a stool test, but the eggs are not excreted with it.

Scabies

Scabies is an infectious disease caused by human scabies. Scabies has a whitish color and a size of up to 0,5 mm. The parasite feeds on the tissue fluid and the callous layer of the epidermis in which it carries its tunnels.

We catch scabies by direct contact with an infected person, e.g. through the hands, because scabies often occur in the spaces between the fingers, or as a result of contact with objects contaminated with live scabies, e.g. bedding, towels, clothes.

The hatching period of scabies is from 3 days to 3 weeks. During this period, the patient has no symptoms but infects others. Therefore, all people in the patient’s immediate vicinity should be treated, even those without symptoms. After a few weeks, the patient develops an allergic reaction to the proteins and feces of scabies, which is manifested by intense itching and rash.

1. Echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, scabies. What else can we get infected from dogs and cats?

– These tiny arachnids can have various symptoms, mainly on the skin of the abdomen, buttocks, in the interdigital spaces, skin folds, groin, and in boys around the scrotum, where the skin is thicker – describes Dr. Lewek. – Characteristically, the itching begins at night, when the infected person lies under the covers, or after a bath, when the skin is also warm. We treat scabies with special prescription or ready-made ointments.

– When scabies is suspected, it is best to consult a doctor as medications and ointments are available only by prescription. And the treatment causes us to get rid of arachnids forever – adds the doctor. It is important to treat not only the patient but also his family.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to self-compassion – a trend that has developed very strongly in the United States, but is still in its infancy in Poland. What is it and how does it affect our daily functioning? You will hear about this and many other issues related to self-compassion in the latest episode of our podcast.