Infections: a General Introduction

An infection, according to MedicineNet.com is “The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a “germ”) growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person. The term “infection” has some exceptions. For example, the normal growth of the usual bacterial flora in the intestinal tract is not usually considered an infection. The same consideration applies to the bacteria that normally inhabit the mouth.”

That is to say, the parasitic organism must actually cause you harm in order for it to be considered an infection. Indeed, it is quite amazing that we are not affected by infections much more often, since our bodies are home to millions of parasitic organisms at all times.

In simple terms, the four main groups of parasitic organisms that can cause infections are:

1. Bacteria: these are single cells, and cause such infections as pneumonia, a sore throat, sinusitis, ear infections, boils, etc.
2. Viruses: these depend on another living cell to be able to survive, and usually cause an infection to affect the whole body, or various parts of it. Infections caused by viruses are those like flu, chickenpox, measles, etc., and, on a much more serious level, AIDS and similar diseases.
3. Fungi: these are organisms that grow on damp, molded environments, and cause infections of the nails, athlete’s foot, itchy groins, armpits, etc.
4. Protozoa: these are larger organisms, sometimes transmitted through drinking water (if you are traveling abroad, for example), and include intestinal worms and the organisms causing malaria, etc.

Prevention/Protection

It is basically impossible to avoid infections completely, but you can do many things to keep the majority of germs at bay, or make it more unlikely that the germs will be able to cause an infection.

The first thing you can do is eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise. This helps to strengthen the body and, with it, the body’s natural defenses against infection.

Another - perhaps the most important  - factor in preventing infections is cleanliness. This includes washing your hands with soap and water (and drying them properly) after any kind of activity during which you may have been in contact with germs. This includes, obviously, such things as going to the toilet, touching animals, but also after frequent handshaking, after touching raw meat, and other such actions.

It is especially important to clean thoroughly any wounds or cuts, since otherwise an infection could use the wound as an entry point into your body  - and into your bloodstream, from where it can be spread throughout your body.