When is it necessary to consult an infectious disease specialist?

When is it necessary to consult an infectious disease specialist?

The winter season often brings an increased risk of infectious diseases, thanks to lower temperatures, which create ideal conditions for the spread of viruses and bacteria. This is the time when flu, colds and other viral infections spread with the greatest intensity. However, consultation with an infectious disease specialist is not limited to the winter months. Such diseases can manifest themselves all year round, and the infectologist plays a key role in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a variety of infections.

Infectionists are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of acute diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These infectious diseases are particularly dangerous because they are contagious — they can be transmitted by airborne droplets, by contact with infected surfaces, by blood and sexual routes, and also by eating contaminated food, contact with animals or insect bites. In everyday life, we often underestimate these diseases, not perceiving them as a threat to health, although they are contagious and can spread quickly. Recognizing their symptoms in time is essential, as this helps not only to treat them in a timely manner, but also to prevent their wider spread among people.

Let us not forget that infectionists were and continue to be on the front lines in the fight against COVID19 to this day, and together with this, they diagnose and treat post-Covid syndrome, which explains many of the lingering symptoms in the period after the infection.

Dr. Veronika Gadjovska, infectious disease specialist at Haelan Care Center 3 provides guidance on when to consult an infectious disease specialist.

‍Temperature

High body temperature is one of the main indicators of the presence of a disease. It is the most common symptom in infectious diseases and usually occurs in combination with other symptoms. However, when temperature is the only symptom, it is classified as “unclear temperature condition” or “temperature of unclear origin”. This symptom can be a sign of various infections or other diseases that require careful monitoring and diagnosis.

Enlarged lymph nodes

Enlarged lymph nodes in various parts of the body can also be the result of an infection or other disease condition. More often, the appearance of this symptom is associated with a viral causative agent, and it is wrong to conduct antibiotic treatment without assessing the condition and laboratory tests.

“Patterns” in childhood(chickenpox, scarlet fever, measles)

The so-called “patterns”, although they look like banal diseases, do not always proceed in the typical way and are not always easy to recognize. Although these diseases are well known, their symptoms can manifest themselves in different forms, which makes it difficult to make an accurate diagnosis without medical intervention. Early recognition and proper treatment of these diseases are essential to prevent complications and limit their spread among children.

Angina /infectious mononucleosis/

Mononucleosis, also known as “kiss disease”, is a well-known disease that usually proceeds mildly and is self-limiting, without requiring specific treatment. However, it can sometimes lead to serious complications, such as involvement of various organs, requiring longer treatment, including hospitalization, if the diagnosis is not made in time. Early recognition of symptoms and timely medical intervention are key to preventing serious consequences and speeding up recovery.

Diarrhea and vomiting/viral gastroenteritis; salmonellosis; bacterial dysenteria/

Consuming thermally insufficiently well-processed food or improperly stored, as well as lack of hygiene are possible factors for the occurrence of viral and bacterial infections of the stomach and intestines or food poisoning.

Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)/acute viral hepatitis A, B, C, E and D/

Yellowing of the skin and sclera, as well as the dark color of urine, are the most common symptoms that signal a possible inflammation of the liver — hepatitis.

Diseases caused by tick bites

/Lyme disease, Marseille fever/

Diseases caused by mosquito bites

West Nile Fever, Yellow Fever

Diseases caused by tick and mosquito bites are common in the summer months of the year. Their onset is usually associated with high fever, the appearance of rashes and muscle pain. Tick-borne diseases are more common in our country. Of these, the most important place is occupied by Lyme disease. In this case, it is extremely important to remove the tick correctly, but no less important is the medical assessment of the need to carry out antibiotic prophylaxis and follow-up of the infected.

Infections of the nervous system (meningitis and encephalitis)

Meningitis and encephalitis are characterized by the following symptoms — fever, nausea/vomiting and severe headache, seizures, confusion, drowsiness, stiffness in the neck area.

Consultation with an infectologist in the presence of the indicated symptoms is mandatory, since it concerns potentially life-threatening conditions.