Symptoms & Signs
Chagas disease has two phases — acute and chronic. The acute phase may have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. Symptoms include:
- Fever
- General ill feeling (malaise)
- Swelling of one eye
- Swollen red area at site of insect bite
After the acute phase the disease goes into remission. No other symptoms may appear for many years. When symptoms finally develop, they may include:
- Constipation
- Digestive problems
- Pain in the abdomen
- Swallowing difficulties
Diagnosis & Tests
Physical examination can confirm the symptoms. Signs may include:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Enlarged liver and spleen
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
Tests include:
- Blood culture
- Chest x-ray
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA)
- Peripheral blood smear
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Chagas disease : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Chagas disease : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Chagas disease : Treatment
Review Date : 9/3/2008
Reviewed By : D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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