Legionnaires Disease Definition, Causes and Symptoms

Legionnaires disease is not that easy to define, but most of the doctors characterize it as a collective word for the health conditions provoked by legionella bacteria. They assign the severest forms of Legionnaires’ disease as well as several types of fever to this category. It is a life-threatening disease with most of the fatal cases. It can be called the last stage of pneumonia – a severe problem with lungs. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees, and all people are susceptible to infection.

There are several known causes of the serious disease. One should not swim in the natural water resource like a river or lake without making sure this place is suitable for swimming. Otherwise, it may contain Legionella. The bacteria responsible for this disease inhabit warm freshwater. Thus, a person may also be infected at the swimming pool, sauna, hot tubs, and SPA salons. Cooling systems are also the potential causes of the problem. Public showers and fountains contain equal risks as well. It is better to avoid drinking water from them.

It is time to discuss the symptoms of this severe, life-threatening disease. A person will notice an extremely high body temperature that causes unintentional body shaking (fever), a strong cough, chills, headaches, weakness of muscles and joints, etc. The temperature of the body may reach more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit! It makes no surprise some people are lost and confused when having such a high fever. At first, a person may feel just a slight headache and weakness in muscles, but it gets worse in one or two days.

There are several risk factors to mention. It is interesting that not every person who contacts the responsible bacteria gets sick automatically. Some people are at higher risks of experiencing Legionnaires disease after dealing with the infected water or person. Those are people who are heavy smokers, patients who have symptoms of HIV/AIDS are at the highest risks. Patients who suffer from the chronic lung diseases possess higher threats as well, such disorders as diabetes and cancer, older people face the problem more often than a younger population.

Doctors recommend several methods to detect corresponding bacteria and diagnose Legionnaires disease. First of all, it is necessary to list all the symptoms carefully, in the order of their appearance. Various exams may also be helpful. Experts recommend taking a urine examination to identify the antigens. Those are elements necessary to resist the illness. A sample of blood can tell a lot. Some doctors prefer imaging scans to find out whether the kidneys/lungs are doing wrong.

Are there some ways to prevent this serious disease? Of course, and some of them include collecting all-important information on the river, creek, or lake of interest before having a rest over there. It is better to avoid being in public hospitals for too long with the sick patients. It is better to quit smoking if you want to decrease the chances of getting sick. Legionella bacteria will then have fewer chances to attack your organism.