Infections:
Infections are invasions by microorganisms that seek to use their hosts, by multiplying and interfering with the normal functions of their hosts, creating such possible conditions as chronic wounds, tissue injuries, limb losses, gangrene, and some times even death, or by developing into diseases through cellular or toxic mechanisms. Inflammation, the body’s natural reaction to infections, anti-infective drugs, antivirals, antifungals, antibacterials, and antituberculars may be helpful in battling these various infections.
Types Of Infections:
Infections may be airbourne, acute, short lasting, arrested, restrained in development, chronic, long lasting, droplet respiratory pathogens, dustbourne, endogenous reactive organisms, exogenously environmentally infecting, adenoviruses that can cause conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal, and respiratory diseases, focalized, hemolytic streptococcal, inflammatory, latent, lingering, nosocomially, developing during hospitalizations, opportunistic, primary, recurrent, ulcerative, waterbourne, mixed, masked but not demonstrated, persistent, secondary, pyogenic, subclinical, systematic, terminal, transmissible, tunnel, subcutaneous, and many more.
Symptoms:
Bacterial infections, especially Cellulitis, may be the most commonly occurring medical emergencies associated with Lymphedema, and present such symptoms as redness of skin, warmth of afflicted tissues, red lines, chills, fevers, malaise, swollen lymph nodes, and pain in the affected areas.
Risks:
Each infection suffered by Lymphedema patients may further damage their lymphatic systems, worsen their conditions, and lead to the possibility of developing Sepsis blood poisoning. Heavily fibrotic limbs are extremely difficult to treat for infections, because of the tissue density, that may impede or prevent antibiotics from reaching the bacteria causing the infection, and long term IV therapies may become necessary.
Erysipelas:
Erysipelas, superficial skin infections caused by Staphylococcus A bacteria, that can spread rapidly and invade subcutaneous tissues, predominently in the legs and face, is commonly associated with Lymphedema.
Impetigo:
Often caused by bacterial infections developing into crusty skin lesions, and typically found in children residing in unhealthy living conditions, or following upper respiratory infections, colds, and viral infections, Impetigo begins as contagious, itchy red sores that blister and spread, usually developing on the face, lips, arms, or legs, and may form deep ulcers of the skin. Impetigo may involve streptococcal or staphylcoccal bacterias, or both.
Cutaneous Abscesses:
Appearing anywhere on the body, affecting all ages, and spreading locally, or systematically through the bloodstream, Cutaneous Abscesses may be caused by pus collecting in the skin, or subcutaneous tissues, and can develop after minor wounds, injuries, hair follicle inflammations, folliculitis, and boils.
Furanculosis:
Manifested by deep seated, painful nodules adjacent to hair follicles, Furanculosis may be the extension of Folliculitis into the subcutaneous tissues. Furanculosis can grow rapidly, and fluctuate into ulcers, with secondary hemotogenous seeding of long bones, heart valves, meninges, joints, the spine, and the kidneys.
Other Conditions:
Distal Finger Phalanx infections, Ulcerated Impetigo, Erythrasma infections of the toes, groin, buttucks, axilla, and sub-mammary glands, Cellulitis of the eyelids, Facial Vein Cellulitis, Perinanal Cellulitis, which is more common in boys than in girls, Paronychia Cellulitic tissues of the hands and feet, and Chronic Paronychia may be other conditions resulting from common infections associated with Lymphedema.
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Next Time: Crohn’s Disease Involvement With The Intestinal Lymphatic System.
