14 Common Symptoms of Bartonella

Infection with the Bartonella type of bacteria leads to a condition known as bartonellosis. This is an infection that can cause mild symptoms, especially at first, but can progress to a more severe infection it left untreated.

Extreme cases can cause swelling of the brain, heart disease, and infection of the eyes that can lead to a partial loss of vision. These symptoms may clear up with treatment, though in rare cases symptoms may continue to persist even after the bacterial infection is gone. This is especially true of vision loss, with some patients never fully recovering sight. 

It’s important to recognize symptoms in order to ensure you receive the proper treatment as early as possible. There are specific types of antibiotics that Gram-negative bacteria like Bartonella respond to, so if the infection isn’t appropriately identified, the wrong medication may delay recovery since not all of them will be effective treatments.

1. A Weak Fever

You may notice an increase in body temperature resulting in a low-grade fever, especially early in the infection. This is pretty common for most bacterial infections and is a strong signal that your body is doing what it can to help fight off the infection. 

To confirm fever, take your temperature under the tongue several times over the course of the day. Our temperature can change throughout the day, and this normal fluctuation can make it difficult to confirm a fever. Also avoid eating or drinking anything for 30 minutes before taking your temperature under the tongue. Otherwise your reading could be thrown off, especially if you have consumed anything that is either hot or cold. 

If you’re running a fever consistently, then that could be a sign that you are currently fighting off an infection and might benefit from further medical attention and prescription drugs.