Bacterial Infection
Bacteria are one celled organisms that are found practically every where, including the human body. A bacterial infection can be defined as an imbalance in bacteria which can harm the body. Localized pain and swelling can be taken as symptoms of a bacterial infection, which are usually limited to a single part of the body. Antibiotics taken over a period of few days to a few weeks can cure most bacterial infections. During bacterial infection, toxins are released that damage healthy cells. The human system is normally not strong enough to fight bacterial infections by itself and hence antibacterial drugs are required to treat them. If left untreated it can lead to Bacteremia where the infection spreads through the blood stream to other parts of the body. So, identifying and treating a bacterial infection in the early stages is important.
Bacterial infection treatment has to start during the early stages of infection to be effective and quick. The history of treating bacterial infection effectively started in 1928, when Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin. By understanding how bacteria destroy cells surrounding them through toxins and by analyzing the structure of different bacteria strains, scientists have been able to produce a number of anti bacterial drugs known as antibiotics each intended for a unique bacterial strain. Antibiotic treatment are classified broadly as those that slow down cell wall formation, those that prevent protein synthesis and those that prevent bacterial metabolism. However, treatment has to be given by medical professionals, only after blood tests to confirm the presence of bacterial infection.