Facts about blood infections

Blood infection

Any part of the human body can beinfected and develop an infection, which means that it refers to the organs, thewhole systems, or the fluids in the body. The medical term for the bloodinfection is sepsis and this infection is a very serious one, since if it is notcured right away, it can be fatal.

The blood may be infected by variousmicroorganisms like viruses, bacteria and fungi, as well as by toxins. The infectiousagents may first cause an infection in some specific part of the body and thenenter into the bloodstream. This usually occurs in the people whose immune systemis weak and unable to fight against these foreign bodies.

Nevertheless, our defense mechanismattempts to prevent the blood infection but by doing that, the tiny bloodclots in the blood vessels are created, thus impairing the proper blood flow. Since theblood flow is obstructed due to the blood clots, the body cells do not getsufficient amounts of oxygen and essential nutrients and the body cannot performthe normal functions since it lacks the energy. As a consequence, shock andorgan failure occur, leading to the death of the infected individual.

Causes of blood infection

As already mentioned above,different microorganisms are responsible for the blood infection, mostlybacteria Escherichia coli. These bacteria live in the digestive tract, but they alsomay penetrate into the body through the contaminated foods. Fungi, as well as viruses, may beresponsible for the incidence of sepsis, especially when the immune system isweakened. Furthermore, it is considered that any infection in the body whilethe immune system is not strong can lead to the occurrence of sepsis. Therefore,the people who suffer from HIV/AIDS, diabetes and pneumonia, as well as frommany other serious infections, are more susceptible to developing sepsis. Sepsis may also be caused by chemotherapyand certain types of medications that are used for the treatment of cancer.

Symptoms of blood infection

Blood infection has its typicalsigns that warn about its presence. For example, fever, chills and shiveringare the most common symptoms of sepsis. Furthermore, the people who developblood infection may have the increased heart rate, and they can experience dizziness andconfusion. Blood infection may also cause skinproblems that will manifest through the skin rash throughout the entire body in theform of dark red spots. Other signs of sepsis includehypotension and pain in the joints.