Some cases come from scratches or small wounds that happen while gardening. Something as innocent as a scrape can leave enough of a break in the skin for it to invade.
In one case, she says, a patient contracted the disease via a splinter in the pad of his thumb with no visible puncture wounds. Fortunately, that patient survived but only after many months in intensive care. Not all patients are so lucky. Tetanus is hard to diagnose early on because so much of the damage happens internally. The spores of the tetanus bacteria enter the bloodstream through a break in the skin and then thrive and germinate inside the body.
The germinating spores produce a toxin that disrupts the nervous system, first affecting the nerves nearest to the break in the skin. From there, the infection spreads to the spinal cord and brain. Within five to ten days, tetanus shows its most frightening symptom: lockjaw. Adamcvean Want to comment on this article? Assessing the risks of vaccine side effects 15 Oct Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram.
Accessibility Log in. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tetanus causes death in approximately 11 percent of people who contract the infection.
Today, most children and adults in the United States are protected by the tetanus vaccine. To maintain immunity against tetanus, you need a booster shot every 10 years or so. Wounds caused by objects contaminated with Clostridium bacteria are the most common cause of tetanus. Tetanus-causing bacteria can enter your body through any tear in your skin. You may be at risk of contracting tetanus if you have:.
If you've stepped on a nail, it can be a painful experience. Depending on the severity of the injury, the nail can puncture a hole in the sole of your…. Tetanus, also called Lockjaw, is a serious bacterial infection that affects the nervous system and causes muscles throughout the body to tighten. Most tetanus shot reactions are signs that your body is responding to build immunity against tetanus.
Tetanus, or lockjaw, is a disease caused by a…. Boils are caused by bacteria building up in a hair follicle and pushing up to the surface of the skin. Recurring boils happen for a number of reasons…. Certain E. View current visitor policy. Tetanus is a serious, sometimes fatal disease that affects your nervous system. The disease itself is rare in the United States because the tetanus vaccine is so effective and is regularly administered to our population. The tetanus bacteria can infect us with any break of the skin.
The 6-year-old Oregon boy recently in the news for contracting tetanus was in the perfect scenario for the disease to take hold. Animal bite injuries and wounds that could be contaminated with dust, soil or feces put us at risk for tetanus. Crush injuries, too, are high-risk because they create lots of spaces where tetanus bacteria can develop. The onset of tetanus usually begins between three days and three weeks after an injury. Symptoms include muscle pain, muscle spasms, difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.
With tetanus, the body has an overstimulation of muscle, which is what causes those painful spasms and contractions. Treatment includes limiting stimuli in the room, as something as simple as lights or sounds can trigger muscle spasms. This treatment is in addition to antibiotics, wound care, medicine to help control muscle spasms and a medication called human tetanus immune globulin.
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