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Legionnaires' disesase

Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia — lung inflammation usually caused by infection. Legionnaires' disease is caused by a bacterium known as legionella.

You can't catch Legionnaires' disease from person-to-person contact. Instead, most people get Legionnaires' disease from inhaling the bacteria. Older adults, smokers and people with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to Legionnaires' disease.

The legionella bacterium also causes Pontiac fever, a milder illness resembling the flu. Separately or together, the two illnesses are sometimes called legionellosis. Pontiac fever usually clears on its own, but untreated Legionnaires' disease can be fatal. Although prompt treatment with antibiotics usually cures Legionnaires' disease, some people continue to experience problems after treatment.

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Legionnaires' disease usually develops two to 10 days after exposure to legionella bacteria. It frequently begins with the following signs and symptoms:

• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Chills
• Fever that may be 104 F (40 C) or higher

By the second or third day, you'll develop other signs and symptoms that may include:

• Cough, which may bring up mucus and sometimes blood
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Confusion or other mental changes

Although Legionnaires' disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and in other parts of the body, including the heart.

 .— may produce signs and symptoms including fever, chills, headache and muscle aches. Pontiac fever doesn't infect your lungs, and symptoms usually clear within two to five days

A mild form of Legionnaires' disease — known as Pontiac The bacterium Legionella pneumophila is responsible for most cases of Legionnaires' disease. Outdoors, legionella bacteria survive in soil and water, but rarely cause infections. Indoors, though, legionella bacteria can multiply in all kinds of water systems — hot tubs, air conditioners and mist sprayers in grocery store produce departments.

Although it's possible to contract Legionnaires' disease from home plumbing systems, most outbreaks have occurred in large buildings, perhaps because complex systems allow the bacteria to grow and spread more easily.

How the infection spreads

Most people become infected when they inhale microscopic water droplets containing legionella bacteria. This might be the spray from a shower, faucet or whirlpool, or water dispersed through the ventilation system in a large building. Outbreaks have been linked to a range of sources, including:

• Hot tubs and whirlpools on cruise ships
• Cooling towers in air conditioning systems
• Decorative fountains
• Swimming pools
• Physical therapy equipment
• Water systems in hotels, hospitals and nursing homes

Although legionella bacteria primarily spread through aerosolized water droplets, the infection can be transmitted in other ways, including:

• Aspiration. This occurs when liquids accidentally enter your lungs, usually because you cough or choke while drinking. If you aspirate water containing legionella bacteria, you may develop Legionnaires' disease.
• Soil. A few people have contracted Legionnaires' disease after working in the garden or using contaminated potting soil.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you think you've been exposed to legionella bacteria. Diagnosing and treating Legionnaires' disease as soon as possible can help shorten the recovery period and prevent serious complications. For people at high risk, prompt treatment is critical.

Not everyone exposed to legionella bacteria becomes sick. You're more likely to develop the infection if you:

• Smoke. Smoking damages the lungs, making you more susceptible to all types of lung infections.
• Have a weakened immune systemLegionnaires' disease can lead to a number of life-threatening complications, including:
  • Respiratory failure. This occurs when the lungs are no longer able to provide the body with enough oxygen or can't remove enough carbon dioxide from the blood.
  • Septic shock. This occurs when a severe, sudden drop in blood pressure reduces blood flow to vital organs, especially to the kidneys and brain. The heart tries to compensate by increasing the volume of blood pumped, but the extra workload eventually weakens the heart and reduces blood flow even further.
  • Acute kidney failure. This is the sudden loss of your kidneys' ability to perform their main function — filtering waste material from your blood. When your kidneys fail, dangerous levels of fluid and waste accumulate in your body.
  
  When not treated effectively and promptly, Legionnaires' disease may be fatal, especially if your immune system is weakened by disease or medications. as a result of HIV/AIDS or certain medications, especially corticosteroids and drugs taken to prevent organ rejection after a transplant.
• Have a chronic lung disease such as emphysema or another serious condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or cancer.
• Are 50 years of age or older.

Legionnaires' disease is a sporadic and local problem in hospitals and nursing homes, where germs may spread easily and people are vulnerable to infection.

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Teens and plastic surgeries

Personally, I don't believe that plastic surgery is the best or the rigth type of intervention for young people and I honestly believe that a lot of the things that motivate people, especially youngsters are issues created by the society.
All the girls in TV shows, magazines, catalogues and others are always very thin, which is the idea we have of perfection: tall, to be a super skinny size O, blond or burnet or with any other characteristics that most people don't have; blue or green eyes, a nose which isn't too big or small, lips that have a certain shape...
As human beings we cannot change our DNA to have the image and size we want for our body. A lot of young people, especially teenage girls end up having phsycological problems and eating disorders to avoid feeling "ugly".

by Marta Lontrão, 11º L

Personally, I don't think I would ever do a plastic surgery, because we should accept our bodies just the way they are. I honestly think that changing your body is a real mistake.

My point is: we should embrace our looks and be confident with what we have, I can say I'm against surgeries where the only use is to please a bunch of strangers. 

To finish, the only type of surgeries that should be allowed are those that can help your health.

by Rogério Maurício, 11º L