Legionnaires Disease Symptoms

Legionnaires' disease is a severe bacterial infection that affects the respiratory tract upon exposure to the Legionella pneumophila bacteria. It will make its presence known in as little as a week of infection although it may initially appear as a wild manifestation of flu. The main environmental source of infection is water in cooling units of air condition systems and water from the reservoirs. Creeks, lakes, excavation sites may also harbor the bacteria that cause the Legionnaires ' disease. Transmission basically occurs when someone breathes in drops of contaminated water.

People with chronic lung diseases, cigarette smokers, those under medications that are known to suppress the body's immune system, people with other medical conditions like kidney disease, cancer, heart disease, etc, are more susceptible to the disease. Legionnaire's disease symptoms are quite similar to those of various other respiratory infections and diseases, hence it becomes very difficult for proper diagnosis to be made. Even though the condition is uncommon, it shouldn't be ruled out in an elderly person or a chronically ill person if a respiratory tract infection worsens in a span of 4 days.

Symptoms may include high fevers of 40C and sometimes even higher, productive or non-productive coughing, shaking chills, diarrhea, chest pains, muscle pain, headaches, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, blood sputum while coughing (although occasional), loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, Tiredness, delirium, Gastrointestinal tract complications, Pulmonary complications, Kidney insufficiency, Central nervous system complications, Pneumonia, Impaired coordination, Coughing up phlegm, Impaired liver function, Impaired kidney function, Malaise, confusion and lethargy, although these last two occur in more severe cases.

Even with the abovementioned symptoms, although legionnaires mostly affects the lungs, occasionally it can be responsible for wound infections and also causing infections in various other parts of the body, the heart included. When you suspect that you have been exposed to the bacteria that causes legionnaires, it is highly advisable to see the doctor immediately, or the immediate onset of a combination of the above mentioned symptoms.

Be sure to pinpoint to the doctor of all the places you have visited for the past two weeks, and the general condition of your stay there, so that the right diagnosis can be made. Proper diagnosis, and subsequent treatment of the disease as soon as the symptoms are noted plays a very major role in reducing the period it would otherwise take to recover. Also, early diagnosis and treatment helps prevent further serious and life-threatening complications.