The human body has an amazing ability to fight off infections and get rid of them from the body. There are several methods the body uses to remove infections and promote healing. Understanding how infections exit the body can help us support these natural processes.
The Lymphatic System Flushes Out Infections
The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. This system is an important part of the immune system and works to flush out infection-causing pathogens.
The lymphatic system consists of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus, tonsils and bone marrow. Lymph fluid flows through lymphatic vessels and contains infection-fighting white blood cells. This fluid transports bacteria, viruses and other invaders to the lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands located throughout the body. They act as filters for lymph fluid, trapping foreign particles like germs. Lymph nodes contain high levels of white blood cells that work to break down and remove infectious agents. Nodes swell as they fill with dead pathogens, other cell waste and fluid.
After being filtered in the lymph nodes, the fluid continues flowing through the lymphatic system. It passes through the spleen, which also contains specialized white blood cells that destroy worn-out red blood cells and capture pathogens. The fluid ends its journey as it gets dumped back into the bloodstream.
This constant circulation of lymph fluid allows the lymphatic system to flush out and filter invaders like bacteria, viruses and other causes of infection. When lymph flow is working properly, it prevents these infectious agents from multiplying and spreading.
Coughing and Sneezing Ejects Pathogens
Two effective methods the body uses to expel germs and irritants are coughing and sneezing. Both are automatic reflexes that forcefully eject fluids and foreign particles from the airways.
Coughing is caused by irritation in the throat or airways and the body’s reflex to try to clear it. As you inhale quickly before coughing, the high pressure causes fluids and loose mucus to dislodge. Forcefully exhaling air then propels these substances out. This removes infectious agents or irritants residing in the lungs, throat or nasal passages.
Sneezing works in a similar fashion and it expels germs and particles from the nasal cavity. As the inner lining of the nose gets irritated, the body responds by eliciting an involuntary sneeze reflex. This reflex causes air and mucus to be rapidly expelled out through the nose and mouth.
Both coughing and sneezing play key roles in eliminating bacteria, viruses, allergens and other unwanted particles from air passages before they can establish an infection. Covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing helps prevent the spread of germs to others.
Vomiting and Diarrhea Expels GI Infections
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common and effective methods your body uses to quickly expel gastrointestinal infections. The fast emptying of the stomach and intestines helps purge harmful pathogens or toxins before they can be absorbed.
When a stomach virus, bacteria or parasite enters your GI tract, receptors in the intestines detect the invader. This triggers the brain to induce vomiting by coordinating abdominal muscle contractions with a deep inhale and forced exhalation. The contents of the stomach are ejected through the mouth.
Diarrhea is the frequent passing of watery stools and it works to expel infectious agents from the intestines. Certain cells in the intestines secrete fluid and electrolytes, which results in loose stools that flush out bacteria and viruses. Diarrhea onset is due to toxins some pathogens release.
Although unpleasant, promptly vomiting and having diarrhea when a GI infection occurs helps rapidly remove the cause and minimize its effects. This prevents harmful pathogens from setting up residence and spreading deeper within the intestines.
Skin Infections Drain Through Lesions
Many common skin infections, including boils, abscesses and cellulitis, form localized pockets of pus underneath the skin that eventually burst open and drain. This allows the infections to exit the body and the skin to heal.
Boils and abscesses both involve inflamed collections of pus caused by bacterial infections in hair follicles or oil glands within the skin. The white blood cells that rush to the site to fight the infection die, forming the thick pus.
As the boil or abscess grows, the pus puts pressure on the skin above it. This causes the skin to thin and eventually rupture, allowing the pus to drain out. Draining the infection provides relief from pain and swelling while expelling the germs from the body.
Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that causes redness, warmth, swelling and tenderness of the skin. As the infection resolves, fluid can weep out through breaks in the skin, draining the infection. Keeping the infected area clean and dry can help promote weeping to drain the infection.
Allowing skin infections like boils, abscesses and cellulitis to drain helps the healing process. Drainage expels bacteria, debris, and fluid from the infected site, allowing the inflammation to go down as the infection clears.
Fever Helps Destroy Infection-Causing Invaders
Fever is a common symptom of infection that actually helps your body fight it off and recover. The hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, triggers a fever in response to bacteria, viruses and other disease-causing organisms in the body.
When pathogens are detected, pyrogens are released and bind to hypothalamus receptors. The hypothalamus then raises your body’s thermostat setting, causing fever with associated chills, flushed skin and sweat. Fever typically ranges from 100.4°F-104°F (38°C-40°C).
Higher body temperatures help inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacterial and viral invaders. Fever also increases the activity of white blood cells, speeds up metabolism and facilitates the release of helpful immune system mediators.
Therefore, fever helps create an internal environment that’s less optimal for the survival and spread of infection-causing germs. Allowing a moderate fever to run its course assists the body’s defenses in destroying viruses and bacteria so you can recover more quickly.
Antimicrobial Medications Eradicate Infection-Causing Pathogens
When your body needs extra assistance fighting an infection, antimicrobial medications are very effective at killing infectious microbes. Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics work to eradicate the germs causing infection and prevent further spread.
Antibiotics like penicillins, cephalosporins and quinolones destroy or inhibit the growth of susceptible bacteria. They work against bacterial infections by interfering with cell wall, protein, DNA or RNA synthesis in ways that cause bacteria to die.
Antivirals such as acyclovir and oseltamivir interfere with the reproductive cycle of viruses, inhibiting their ability to replicate. This helps slow the spread and growth of viral infections like herpes, hepatitis C, influenza and HIV.
Antifungal drugs like fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine destroy fungal activity and growth by binding to fungal cell membranes or walls. This disrupts the integrity of fungal cells, effectively treating fungal infections.
Antiparasitics target infections caused by parasites like tapeworms, roundworms, pinworms and scabies. Ivermectin, albendazole and other antiparasitics disrupt parasite cell functions or inhibit their ability to feed, which destroys them.
When taken appropriately, antimicrobial medications kill off or inhibit the pathogens responsible for infection, allowing the body to heal and recover. Some antimicrobials also have immune-boosting effects to further help resolve infections.
Surgery Drains Infectious Abscesses
Some severe infections result in deeply embedded abscesses or infected fluid collections that don’t drain adequately on their own. In these cases, surgical drainage procedures are used to help expel infectious materials from the body and promote healing.
Abscesses can form within organs, body cavities or tissue spaces, often as complications of surgeries or underlying medical conditions. Abscesses frequently develop on the liver, brain, lungs, abdominal cavity and in the tissues just under the skin.
Symptoms like fever, pain and swelling indicate an abscess that should be drained. Drainage procedures are minimally invasive surgeries in which a needle, catheter or small incision is utilized to withdraw the infected fluid from the abscess pocket.
This immediately helps relieve pressure, reduces swelling and resolves associated symptoms. Draining the infection allows antibiotics to better penetrate the area to kill the remaining germs. Drainage speeds healing by getting the infection under control.
In some cases, follow-up drainage procedures are needed to fully clear a stubborn abscess. This surgical intervention provides an important route for infections to exit the body when medicines alone aren’t sufficient.
How Should Infections Be Treated to Promote Drainage and Healing?
To help the body flush out and recover from infections, proper treatment measures should be followed. Here are some key treatment tips:
- Drink extra fluids to help thin mucus and keep lymph fluid flowing optimally.
- Use cool mist humidifiers to keep sinuses and airways moist, allowing drainage.
- Apply warm, moist compresses to skin infections to encourage drainage and soothe inflammation.
- Completely finish all prescribed antibiotic medications, even once you start feeling better.
- Avoid scratching or squeezing skin infections so you don’t spread bacteria deeper or cause scarring.
- Monitor infections closely and see a doctor if symptoms persist or worsen despite home treatment.
- Allow mild fevers under 102°F (38.9°C) to run their course, as this helps kill infectious germs.
- Get plenty of rest to conserve your energy so your immune system can best combat infections.
Following healthy habits like eating a balanced diet, exercising, managing stress, and getting enough sleep also supports immune function to resolve infections. Seek prompt medical attention for signs of worsening infection like high fever, spreading redness or increasing pain, swelling or discharge.
Conclusion
Infections arise when bacteria, viruses, fungi or other pathogens enter and multiply in the body. Thankfully, we are equipped with a multi-faceted immune system optimally designed to seek out and destroy infectious invaders.
The lymphatic system, coughing/sneezing reflexes, vomiting/diarrhea, fever generation, antimicrobial medications, surgical drainage and more work together to remove infections and promote healing. Understanding the body’s methods for ejecting infections enables us to best support these natural disease-fighting processes.