Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Bacterial Infections FAQ


Image credit: medde.org

What is a bacterial infection?

Bacterial infections are any illness or condition caused by bacterial growth or poisons (toxins). You can get sick from getting harmful bacteria in your skin, gut (GI tract), lungs, heart, brain, blood or anywhere else in your body.

Can bacteria cause infections?

Bacteria in our intestines (gut) help us to digest our food. But some bacteria can cause infections. Bacterial infections can affect many parts of your body, including your: Many infections are mild, but some are severe. Other causes of infectious diseases are viruses, parasites and fungi.

Why is a bacterial infection life threatening?

This usually happens if our immune system is not strong enough to keep them in balance or some change occurs in the composition of our microflora, which favors some bacteria more than others. Some bacterial infections can be life-threatening. What causes a bacterial infection?

What are the symptoms of a bacterial infection?

Localized symptoms of a bacterial infection may include: Pain: This is common with bacterial infections. You can experience skin pain with a bacterial infection on the skin. A lung infection can cause pain when breathing, and you can feel abdominal (stomach) pain with an intestinal (or bowel) infection.

Bacterial Infections References

If you want to know more about Bacterial Infections, consider exploring links below:

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