{"id":6481,"date":"2019-05-07T03:22:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T03:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6481"},"modified":"2021-04-05T18:49:23","modified_gmt":"2021-04-05T18:49:23","slug":"14-early-signs-of-legionnaires-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-early-signs-of-legionnaires-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Early Signs of Legionnaires Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Legionnaires disease is a common type of bacterial infection that affects thousands of people across the United States every year. It\u2019s caused by the legionella bacterium, and is most often spread through the air \u2013 for example, when someone who has the disease coughs close enough to someone without covering their mouths \u2013 and if you have Legionnaires disease, you can be hit with a range of symptoms approximately two weeks after you have been exposed to the bacteria, according to the CDC.
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Just some of the symptoms associated with Legionnaires Disease can include vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing and running a high fever for the duration of the infection. It can be treated, but a quick diagnosis is vital for proper treatment. If you suspect that you have Legionnaires, see your doctor.
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Here are 8 early signs of Legionnaires Disease that you should look out for when you suspect that might have it.
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1. Pneumonia<\/strong>
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Legionnaires Disease<\/a> is a health condition that can severely affect the respiratory system and lungs, and one of the first symptoms known to go together with developing this is pneumonia \u2013 or severe infection of the lungs. If you have pneumonia together with Legionnaire\u2019s Disease, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll develop a persistent cough, a sore throat and overall difficulty breathing \u2013 and it\u2019s important to remember that the damage incurred to the lungs through pneumonia might be permanent.
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If you suspect that you have pneumonia at all, whether it happens because of Legionnaire\u2019s Disease or as a condition related to something else, make an appointment with your doctor in order to discuss the best treatment options forward before permanent lung or airway damage occurs.
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Further factors that can put you at a higher risk of developing pneumonia include existing conditions like asthma, external factors like pollution or long-term air-quality.  
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2. Difficulty Breathing<\/strong>
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Legionnaires Disease starts to affect the respiratory system first, and one of the first signs that you might have picked up the infection will be the start of symptoms like difficulty breathing more or less two weeks after you have been first exposed to some form of Legionella bacteria. If you have an existing condition such as asthma <\/a>that\u2019s already affecting your lungs, then the condition can affect your lungs further \u2013 and the damage can be much more serious.
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For difficulty breathing, the best course of action is to visit the emergency room \u2013 and if you have any asthma medication such as an inhaler on hand, use it. This symptom will get worse if left untreated, and it can prove to be fatal if you have pre-existing lung conditions that already impair your breathing.
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The symptom normally goes away as the infection does, but if not, make another appointment with your doctor.
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2. Vomiting<\/strong>
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Even though Legionnaires affects the respiratory system first (and arguably most heavily), that\u2019s not the only part of the body affected when you have been exposed to the bacteria. Sometimes the disease can also start off with symptoms like vomiting and nausea<\/a>, and these symptoms can continue for as long as the infection is present in your body.
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Vomiting is one of the symptoms that can be treated symptomatically along with the rest of the symptoms of Legionnaire\u2019s disease, sometimes with over-the-counter medication, until the infection is over.
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Remember that vomiting is one of the fastest ways to dehydrate, and fluid intake should be increased immediately to ensure that fluid loss isn\u2019t happening at a more rapid rate than fluid intake.
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People with connective tissue disorders should take special care while vomiting and press a pillow to the stomach to avoid extra pressure that might cause hernias or ruptures.
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3. Appetite Changes<\/strong>
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Appetite changes are one potential symptom of Legionnaires Disease that occurs in the majority of cases, and the symptom can be present even if vomiting <\/a>and nausea aren\u2019t. An infection of legionella bacteria generally starts to show symptoms within two weeks of having been exposed to it, and appetite changes are likely to start occurring as one of the earliest symptoms \u2013 usually, even before the rest of the symptoms have started.
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A loss of appetite should always be taken as something that warrants a doctor\u2019s appointment, even if you don\u2019t notice that there\u2019s anything wrong with your health at the time. Appetite loss or changes can be a sign that there\u2019s an infection or chronic condition that you should know about, and ignoring it can have hugely negative consequences for your body.
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The first expert to see if you experience appetite changes is a nutritionist, who can then refer you in the right direction from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Low Heart Rate<\/strong>
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Heart rate is one of the first things that doctors and nurses will monitor in a hospital, and it can tell them a lot about the current state of your health. One of the common symptoms that go along with Legionnaires Disease is a lower-than-normal heart rate together with a fever<\/a>, confusion, muscle pain, difficulty breathing and some of the other symptoms that have been mentioned on this list.
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A lower heart rate together with a fever is considered one of the symptoms that are specifically characteristic of Legionnaires disease due to the fact that a fever normally accompanies a higher than normal heart rate instead. A lower heart rate can eventually lead to heart damage or seizure of the heart.
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Experiencing a lower heart rate that becomes progressively worse should be an immediate trip to the emergency room, especially if an existing heart condition is present that already places strain on the heart.
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5. Confusion<\/strong>
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Confusion is a common symptom that accompanies Legionnaires Disease, and this is a dangerous symptom because it\u2019s the one that people usually don\u2019t spot in themselves. People who live with someone might be told that they\u2019ve been acting different or letting things slip, and this should be taken as one of the first signs that you might be a sign \u2013 and if you can combine it with any of the other symptoms of Legionnaires Disease that has been mentioned in this article, then you should take it as an immediate sign to see a doctor.
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The confusion happens due to the infection\u2019s <\/a>general effect on the body, and confusion together with fever can be symptoms that accompany a range of other infections that aren\u2019t caused by legionella bacteria but are just as serious.
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When the infection is treated with medication, the symptom generally goes away as soon as the infection has.
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6. Fever<\/strong>
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Fever <\/a>is one of the first signs that your body is trying to battle some kind of infection that should be taken care of as soon as possible. Sometimes a fever can manifest together with chills and sweating, and other times the skin feels unusually hot. Any temperature higher than normal is considered a fever, and it should be treated the moment it occurs \u2013 first, start with over-the-counter medication such as aspirin and paracetamol.
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If this isn\u2019t enough to take care of the fever, then follow up with a visit to the emergency room. A continuous fever places more strain on the heart than normal, and this can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks \u2013 especially if you have an existing heart condition.
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It can be fatal to treat a fever at home, and most of the home methods (such as throwing cold water over someone) can instead make the condition considerably worse instead.
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7. Muscle Pain<\/strong>
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Muscle pain can show up as one of the first symptoms of Legionnaires Disease, and it\u2019s likely that it will occur within the first two weeks before the first signs of the condition start to show up. Muscle pain can also feel much worse when a fever is present, and any additional strain <\/a>placed on the muscles with this symptom present can cause severe and permanent injury to the strain.
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If you experience any kind of muscle pain, report it to your doctor \u2013 and make sure that you can tell your doctor exactly where the muscle pain is present (and for how long it\u2019s been there). Also, note if you have been undertaking any activities like exercise that could have made the muscle pain any worse.
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If any other symptoms of the disease occur together with the muscle pain and fever, also make sure you note these to your doctor.
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8. Coughing<\/strong>
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Difficulty breathing isn\u2019t the only potential symptom associated with Legionnaire Disease that affects the airways and lungs<\/a>, and anyone who has been exposed to the legionella bacteria is likely to experience a cough as part of the condition as well. This cough can start before or at the same time as the other symptoms mentioned on this list, and it can also take several forms \u2013 it might be a wet or a dry cough, or it might only be restricted to a morning or night cough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cough is likely to last for as long as the infection is present, and while a cough can be treated symptomatically with over-the-counter medication, treatment for the legionella bacteria (usually with antibiotics) is extremely vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an existing lung or airway condition such as asthma or bronchitis, then this symptom and the general effect on the lungs are much more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Chills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fever associated with Legionnaire’s disease in intense, and patients may reach internal temperatures exceeding 101F. The fever occurs due to pyrogen proteins attaching to nerve <\/a>endings. The pyrogens cause the CNS to turn up the heat, and the patient breaks out in a fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fever is the body’s natural defense against disease, and by turning up the heat, the body stops viruses from replicating and bacteria from spreading. This strategy allows the immune system to kill off the pathogen using targeted attacks with antibodies and white blood cells to remove the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the fever associated with Legionnaire’s disease is so intense, patients can expect to develop chills as well. Chills occur when the patient feels cold and shivers, even though they are dealing with a fever. This phenomenon occurs as the body tries to catch up to the new temperature setpoint established by the nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the immune system kills off the pathogen, the fever and chills subside, and the patient returns to normal body temperature levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Shortness of Breath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients who are dealing with Legionnaire’s disease may experience dysfunction with their respiratory system. Pneumonia <\/a>bacteria responsible for the development of the condition start to breed in the lungs and cause changes in mucus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the bronchiole and alveoli, the small tubes in the lungs which attach to air sacs, fill with pus. This change in lung conditions and the increase of the infection leads to symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath in the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients find that they may be out of breath walking from their hospital bed to the bathroom, and climbing a flight of stairs may leave them feeling exhausted and out of breath. These symptoms continue to intensify as the bacteria spreads in the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, patients with the disease notice the symptoms decline after starting treatment with antibiotics to reduce the infection. The patient experiences no permanent lung damage that affects their breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Dehydration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dehydration <\/a>is one of the most severe complications associated with the development of legionnaires disease. When the vomiting symptoms start, the patient must replace the lost body fluids after each purge. When we vomit, we lose vital fluids, minerals, and electrolytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since over 60-percent of the body consists of water., losing fluids leaves us in a dehydrated start. When we combine low body fluid levels with an electrolyte imbalance, the patient may start to experience seizures that have the potential to become life-threatening if left untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most patients will struggle to keep things down for the first day after the vomiting symptoms start. However, they should begin to drink fluids as soon as possible to avoid dehydration. Sucking on an ice block may help to provide the body with water while soothing the effects of dry and cracked lips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the patient cannot hold down fluids after 48-hours, take them to the emergency room for treatment with IV fluids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Changes in Mucus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the early signs of pneumonia \u2013 are changes in mucus<\/a>. When the patient first becomes infected with the disease, their mucus may start to change from clear to bright yellow. This change occurs due to bacterial growth in the lungs, where the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria begin to infect the bronchiole and alveoli. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the bacteria advance in the respiratory system, it starts to cause the mucus to thicken and change a darker color. As a result, patients in the advanced stages of infection notice their mucus change from yellow to green, and then to dark-green or brown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This change in color is a hallmark of bacterial infection and a sign that the patient should seek medical assistance. In most cases, the mucus may change back to its natural color a few weeks after the infection clears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, people who smoke may find that the changes in mucus persist for months after recovering from Legionnaire’s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Chest Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are dealing with Legionnaires disease may find that they start to experience chest pains during the early stages of infection. As the bacteria <\/a>responsible for causing the pneumonia spread in the lungs, they begin to cause inflammation in tissues. This inflammation leads to the development of chest pain when the patient breathes.
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The symptoms continue to intensify as the infection spreads, and the patient may find that coughing starts to hurt as well. Doctors manage symptoms of chest pain using OTC painkillers and antibiotics to kill the bacteria responsible for causing the condition.
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The patient may start to experience a reduction in pain symptoms after the bacteria begin to die off, and the lungs return to normal levels of health.
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If left untreated, the symptoms of pneumonia could spread to both lungs, increasing signs of chest pain while presenting a life-threatening situation to the patient that require immediate treatment for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Confusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the advanced stages of the infection, the patient may display problems with cognitive processes. Should the bacteria migrate from the lungs to the bloodstream<\/a>, it can infect every other region of the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the bacteria that cause Legionnaires disease enter the brain or the nervous system, it can result in severe health complications affecting brain function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of the infection in brain tissues or the nervous system, the patient may start to develop symptoms of cognitive problems to do with thinking and decision-making. The patient may forget the names of people they know well, and they may have trouble with memory recall as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This confusion can be terrifying for the patient when they realize they cannot think clearly. However, there is no treatment for these symptoms, and doctors recommend that patients sleep and rest as much as possible to give the brain a chance to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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