How do I know if I have infection in my body?

How do I know if I have infection in my body?

There may be general (non-specific) symptoms and/or symptoms specific to where the infection is sited. We will go through them both.

General (non-specific) symptoms of infection

Any infection, including all the ones below, can cause these 10 symptoms:

1. Fever – and feeling hot and cold
2. Chills/shakes (called rigors)
3. Not eating (anorexia)
4. Feeling sick (nausea)
5. Vomiting
6. Whole body weakness and feeling generally unwell
7. Muscle and joint pains
8. Feeling dizzy or faint (can be a sign of low blood pressure) – may be sepsis (severe infection)
9. A change in mental state (like confusion, disorientation or slurred speech) – may be sepsis
10. Sepsis (severe infection). MyHSN has more information on sepsis here: what is sepsis.

The following are the symptoms linked to specific infections.

Symptoms of specific infections

Eyes

– Conjunctivitis (conjunctiva): sore red sticky eyes, with discharge; vision normal

Nose and throat

– Laryngitis/tracheitis (larynx/trachea): sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, swollen ‘glands’

Ears

– Otitis media (middle ear infection): earache, deafness, tinnitus

Brain

– Meningitis (brain lining): headache, neck stiffness

– Encephalitis (brain): headache, confusion, drowsiness

Chest (upper)

– Bronchitis (bronchi): cough, upper central chest pain, green or yellow sputum

Chest (lower)

– Pneumonia (lungs) : cough, shortness of breath, lower chest pain, green or yellow sputum

Gut (upper)

– Gastroenteritis: diarrhoea, vomiting

Gut (lower)

– Colitis (colon): abdominal pain, diarrhoea

Gall bladder

– Cholecystitis: pain in right upper area of tummy, below ribs

Skin (many)

– Cellulitis: red rash on skin, especially in a lower leg

– Wound infection: redness or swelling around a wound

– Athlete’s foot: an itchy rash between the toes

Urinary

– Cystitis (bladder): pain on passing urine, passing urine more frequently and often at night, cloudy urine; pain in lower central tummy

– Pyelonephritis (kidney): pain on one side of tummy/back (+/- symptoms of cystitis)

Genital

– Prostatitis (prostate): pain (which may be severe), in or around penis, testicles, anus, lower abdomen or lower back; pooing can be painful

– Urethritis (urethra): penile or vaginal discharge or itching

Summary

We have described ‘how do I know if I have infection in my body?’ We hope you understand infections better now.