Who is an infectious disease specialist? This is a doctor who diagnoses, recognizes and treats infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and so on. From the Latin word "infection" is translated as "infect".
What is a profession?
What diseases does an infectious disease specialist treat? Doctors in this specialty deal with diseases that arise as a result of the activity of harmful bacteria that enter the human body. As well as specialists in this profession, they study the nature of infections, their diagnosis, preventing the occurrence and fighting infections.
Infectionists work directly in the fields of microbiology and epidemiology. Many diseases arise precisely due to the ingestion of harmful microorganisms. For example, rheumatism occurs due to the presence of streptococci, and a stomach ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori, etc.
What is an infectious disease doctor? He deals directly with those diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another. Such ailments include simple interseasonal diseases, such as acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, etc., as well as those that are part of the circle of especially dangerous diseases - plague, cholera, AIDS, and several others.
How infectious diseases are transmitted
There are several varieties of such ailments. They are divided into groups according to the principle of transmission of infection:
1. Intestinal diseases - an infection enters the body when eating dirty vegetables and fruits. Eating with unwashed hands can also contribute to intestinal diseases.
2. Diseases of the respiratory tract - the infection is transmitted by airborne droplets.
3. Blood diseases. They are divided into two types. Transmissible - enter the body through the bites of various insects (ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, etc.), non-transmissible - are transmitted by blood transfusion or by injection through dirty needles.
4. Diseases of the outer cover - infection occurs with close contact with the patient, through the mucous membranes or skin.
If the infection is transmitted only from person to person, then the disease is called anthroponic, if from animals to people - zoonotic. Here it is worth paying attention to one curious fact: medicine knows cases where people became ill with AIDS by becoming infected by a vector-borne method, that is, a mosquito bit a virus carrier, then it sucked on to a healthy person and transmitted the virus to it. The probability of infection in this way is 1/10000 and this happens mainly in places where AIDS is very common. For example, in some African countries every third person suffers from this disease.
Infectious agents
An infectious disease specialist treats all ailments that occur due to the entry of viruses, fungi, prions, bacteria, etc. into the body. In addition, each group causes certain diseases:
- viruses - influenza, measles, HIV, meningitis, hepatitis, etc .;
- fungi - epidermophytosis, mucormycosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis and others;
- prions - infectious microscopic particles that affect the brain. They differ from other pathogens in that they consist of only one protein. Causes diseases leading to dementia (familial insomnia, hen, Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome, Sheinker syndrome);
- bacteria - cholera, plague, salmonellosis, dysentery, etc.
Infectious diseases for children
There are a lot of children's varieties of infections, and some of them have not yet been studied, since it is extremely rare. But there is a list of the main diseases that babies most often get sick with. What does an infectious disease specialist treat in children?
Measles is considered one of the most contagious diseases, and all babies from three years old are susceptible to it. At an earlier age, it is extremely rare. Measles is transmitted by airborne droplets, it is often infected in kindergarten. The incubation period of this disease is from 10 to 17 days. In very rare cases, it can last up to 21 days, if at this time the child takes medicines for colds, which can muffle the development of measles for a while.
The susceptibility of children to rubella is slightly lower. It is also transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. Rubella carrier is dangerous only in the first days of the disease, then the infection becomes non-contagious. The incubation period is from 15 to 24 days.
What does an infectious disease specialist treat? Mumps, otherwise - “mumps”, is also included in the list of diseases that this doctor deals with. Such an infection is less contagious than measles and rubella. It is transmitted by airborne droplets, it is easy for her to become infected if a healthy person is in the same room with the patient. The incubation period is from 11 to 21 days, sometimes up to 26 days.
Scarlet fever is caused by streptococci. It is transmitted by airborne droplets, but you can still get infected through toys and personal items (such as a towel). The incubation period from 2 to 7 days, sometimes lasts up to 12 days.
Diphtheria occurs due to a toxigenic rod that produces strong poison (exotoxin). It is transmitted from the carrier to a healthy person. The incubation period is from 2 to 10 days.
What else does the infectious disease specialist treat? Polio is a rather rare disease, infection has been minimized thanks to regular preventive vaccinations. A child may become ill from contact with a virus carrier. Polio is also transmitted through unwashed fruits, vegetables and airborne droplets. The incubation period is from 5 to 35 days, but more often no more than 12 days.
Chickenpox is a lightweight type of smallpox that was finally defeated by Soviet doctors in the 20th century. Otherwise, this infection is called chickenpox. It is transmitted through the air and is not very dangerous, passes in about a week. Susceptibility to chickenpox in children is high. The incubation period is from 11 to 21 days, but mostly 14 days.
Pregnancy infections
What is an infectious disease doctor? He also deals with the diseases that pregnant women suffer. Each infection poses a great danger to the fetus. The appearance of some of them depends directly on the immunity of a woman, and living conditions and the presence of stress are of great importance.
What does an infectious disease specialist treat during pregnancy? The most dangerous diseases are rubella, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus infection, toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, herpes, mycoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HIV infection.
Infectious Disease Treatment
Treatment takes place in specially equipped hospitals. In mild cases, home treatment is possible. A prerequisite is strict adherence to the anti-epidemic regime.
What does an infectious disease specialist treat? He deals with ailments transmitted from one person to another. The times when many infectious diseases were almost incurable have long passed. Now doctors have developed many types of preventive vaccines, and there are also a large number of effective medicines. The list of the latter includes antibiotics, immunoglobulins and other drugs.
Herpetic infection
The herpetic virus can not only affect the mucous membranes and skin, but also adversely affect the central nervous system, internal organs and eyes. It is mainly transmitted by airborne droplets. If herpes is genital, then they become infected through sexual contact.
The herpes family includes the following diseases: chickenpox, cytomegaloviruses and herpes zoster. After entering the body, herpes remains in it for life. Often in a "sleeping" form. But under the influence of a number of reasons it can manifest itself. Most often, herpes affects the mucous membranes and the skin, but can also affect the brain, adrenal glands, liver, lungs and spleen.
An infectious disease specialist treats herpes of all varieties. This disease is very dangerous for pregnant women, as it can damage the fetus. Cold sores also contribute to cervical cancer.
Herpes Treatment
What does an infectious disease specialist treat? Herpes with the usual course of the disease, it is treated with ointments that are applied to the rash. The latter is covered with a dry crust, which subsequently disappears. With a common lesion of the skin, local treatment is performed.
If the oral mucosa is affected, it must be rinsed with a weak potassium solution and take liquid food. Erosion is lubricated with a solution of novocaine.
What else does the infectious disease specialist treat? He also deals with ocular herpes. Here applied keretsid, which is buried in the eyes. The “Interferon human leukocyte” agent and other local effects (laser, cryotherapy, etc.) are also used.
Do worms belong to infectious diseases?
Sure, since their larvae infect the body. Worms exist over 20 different species, they not only live in the human body, but also cause various additional diseases.
Larvae enter the body along with food, water or dust. They ripen directly inside. Sometimes worms can even lead to death if they enter the brain. Often the cause of infection is the meat of sick animals or poorly processed fish. Paradox: worms from humans are not transmitted to animals, and people can become infected from them.
What treatment is prescribed
There are several drugs that are harmless to humans, but fatal to parasites. They destroy eggs, larvae and the worms themselves. Medicines can affect several types of parasites at once.
It is not recommended to destroy parasites in the body on your own, it is better to consult a doctor. An infectious disease specialist treats worms of all varieties. Initially, the doctor should determine the type of worms. This is done by taking feces for analysis, and only after that appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Infectious Disease Prevention
Prevention is no less important than treatment. Ideally, it is better to prevent infection than to treat it later. Great attention needs to be paid to cleanliness and personal hygiene. Wash hands after dirty work, before eating and after using the toilet. This will protect against many intestinal infections. Sometimes their source is handrails in public transport, money, counters in shops, etc. Therefore, when you get home, you need to wash your hands in any case.
The carriers of infections can be rodents, cockroaches, as well as many insects (especially ticks and mosquitoes). In order to protect yourself, you need to treat the places of their accumulation with special chemicals and prevent them from spreading. There are many tools that you can use - aerosols, fumigants, toxic mixtures, etc.