{"id":1750,"date":"2018-05-07T06:59:10","date_gmt":"2018-05-07T06:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1750"},"modified":"2021-03-16T15:49:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T15:49:35","slug":"8-most-common-tetanus-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/8-most-common-tetanus-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Most Common Tetanus Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tetanus is a bacterial infection scientifically known as Clostridium tetani. The most common ways people get exposed to tetanus is open wounds and sores. The risk of tetanus becomes worrying when you\u2019re exposed to a \u201cdirty\u201d kind of wound: Like stepping on a rusty nail or cutting your foot on a rock in filthy water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tetanus is a very serious infection, and if you are showing any symptoms then you should immediately consult your doctor: Untreated tetanus can and will lead to a very painful death. But a tetanus vaccination lasts for at least ten years once you\u2019ve had one and can protect you from developing a tetanus infection if you happen to get exposed to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, tetanus can still be treated if you spot the signs in time and rush yourself to medical help. Here\u2019s more about the eight most common tetanus symptoms and how to recognize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Localized Symptoms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first signs of a tetanus infection that\u2019s coursing through your body is sometimes only experiencing localized symptoms \u2013 that means that the symptoms are centralized to, for example, only the digit or limb where you developed the original wound. You might at first notice that the wound becomes red and swollen when you first hurt yourself, and no amount of antiseptic treatment will be able to get rid of the ache that starts developing at the injury site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, you might start to experience pain \u2013 tingling or numbness <\/a>\u2013 at the injury area which might spread to your limbs. But, as we\u2019ve just said, you might also experience it only in a localized area. Tetanus can take between 4 and 21 days to show its symptoms, and symptoms don\u2019t always start with a wound that doesn\u2019t heal. Tetanus infection can start showing with any symptoms on this list, so pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Numbness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many survivors of tetanus infections have described the feeling as numbness that sets in from the injury site. This can sometimes be hard to spot when you\u2019re already in a lot of pain from stepping on a nail or any kind of similar injury; snakebites, for example, can also be a cause of picking up tetanus <\/a>\u2013 there are many kinds of germs that live in the mouths of snakes and other reptiles, and even if the snake is not poisonous, you can pick up a very nasty infection from a snakebite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbness related to a tetanus infection happens because the infection starts to affect the nerves from the point of entry \u2013 and this often will also affect the wound healing, though this is not always a sign of having tetanus or not \u2013 and taking one symptom should never qualify as a rule. Sometimes it is tingling rather than numbness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Heart Palpitations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Heart palpitations<\/a>, that is to say an extremely fast heart rate (also known in scientific terms as heart arrhythmia), can manifest as one of the symptoms of tetanus \u2013 though this is one of the symptoms that will only occur when the infection is in a much more advanced stage where it will already start to affect other parts of your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, you should remember that heart palpitations can manifest in a huge number of ways, ranging from already having heart problems to having a general infection \u2013 and that we\u2019re not saying that heart palpitations means that you have tetanus. But, if you\u2019re manifesting heart palpitations as a symptom along with a nasty infection, that\u2019s a sure sign to go get it checked out at the doctor whether it turns out to be caused by tetanus or not. And, if experienced with any other symptoms here, you have an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The average human temperature is measured at thirty seven degrees Celsius or approximately ninety-eight point six degrees Fahrenheit. Anything less that than means your body temperature has dropped, which sometimes points to issues with the lungs or heart and can be seen in many disorders \u2013 including a coma<\/a>, or sometimes during surgery where the body temperature is artificially lowered. But anything higher than that number instead means that you have developed a fever. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you should know that a fever is a completely normal reaction: It\u2019s what the body does to fight infection. But if a fever goes for too long, it could downright kill you. A fever immediately needs to be gotten under control, and we\u2019ve got artificial ways to fight infection rather than letting a fever run. And you should take note: A repeated fever can also mean you\u2019ve picked up a tetanus infection and need medical help.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Muscle Spasms<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muscle spasms <\/a>can be another symptom of tetanus infection. But we don\u2019t mean the kind of muscle spasms that just cause a little bit of a twitch in a muscle: We mean the kind of muscle symptoms that\u2019ll leave you in crippling pain so bad that you can\u2019t think, and it will eventually affect your mobility. The kind of muscle spasms here happen because of the fact that tetanus affects the nervous system \u2013 so this is a symptom of tetanus that can be expected to manifest in worse and more painful ways in later stages of the disease.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, you shouldn\u2019t think that getting muscle spasms means that you have contracted a tetanus infection, but if you can combine several of the symptoms on this list with each other then you should rush yourself to medical help immediately and seek treatment. Remember to mention the original injury to your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Difficulty Swallowing<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with the other symptoms <\/a>of a tetanus infection, one of the earliest signs of the \u00a0tetanus bacterium having become active is experiencing a difficulty swallowing. In part, this is due to the same symptom of tetanus which causes the symptom we have talked about just before this: The muscle spasms that often render sufferers of tetanus \u2013 at least those in the advanced stages of the disease \u2013 completely or partially unable to move. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tetanus infection affects the nervous system, and as the nerves start being affected and \u201cdying off\u201d as it were, the patient will experience muscle spasms, twitches in certain areas of the body and difficulty swallowing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should know that by the point you are experiencing difficulty swallowing that the disease is in its fairly advanced stages, and you will need immediate medical attention and treatment for tetanus before the difficulty swallowing turns into a further symptom.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Lockjaw <\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When most people think of tetanus the first thing they imagine is lockjaw<\/a>. This is a symptom only seen in the more advanced stages of tetanus infection, and this is the symptom most commonly known to cause death. Lockjaw in the most simple terms means that the jaw has become tighter and tighter until it has gotten stuck completely \u2013 or \u201clocked.\u201d In some cultures, countries and languages, tetanus is commonly called (or more literally translated to) \u201cthe jaw-locking disease\u201d for its effect. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the point that the patient is experiencing the symptom known as lockjaw, they have progressed in infection to the point where help is unlikely and they will most likely be experiencing all or most of the other symptoms along with it. Lockjaw is the part of the tetanus infection that renders the patient unable to speak, talk, eat or consume fluids, and shows in severely advanced cases.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Grinning<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a symptom of tetanus infection that you might not have heard about before or thought of before you read about it here: Grinning, often in what is described as a horribly grotesque type of way, This happens because of the same reasons we have given for the other symptoms that we have mentioned on this list: Muscle spasms that begins to manifest in the later stages of a tetanus infection. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This happens, again, because of the fact that tetanus infection affects the nerves <\/a>directly and as they are affected by the disease, they spasm and lock, causing some of the symptoms that we have mentioned here \u2013 including the lockjaw that is most commonly associated with tetanus infections, and the horrific grin that we are mentioning now. Of course, this comes in advanced infection stages. Could it then possibly be that the Joker has some form of a tetanus infection?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Irritability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As tetanus infection spreads in the body, it starts to attack the nervous system. Not only can symptoms of nervous system distress lead to lockjaw, muscle spasms, and heart palpitations, but it also causes changes in your mood and thinking. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People in the advanced stages of tetanus infection find that they become edgy and irritable with other people\u2019s behavior and their own. Everyone has a bad day from time to time, but if you notice persistent feelings of irritability<\/a>, along with any of the other symptoms on this list \u2013 then you could have a tetanus infection.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think back over the last few days and try to remember any time you cut yourself or scraped your skin on a dirty surface. Recalling your injury allows you to establish a timeline, and this comes in handy when you visit your doctor for treatment of your condition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you feel irritable, take a few deep breaths and try to calm yourself down.<\/span><\/wp-block><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Muscle Contractions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muscle contractions are a bit different in their characteristics when compared to muscle spasms. As previously mentioned, muscle spasms from tetanus infection start as soon as 72-hours after infection, and they increase in intensity as the disease begins to invade your nervous system<\/a>. Spasms are incredibly painful and may last for minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muscle contractions occur for the same reasons \u2013 your nervous system is starting to show signs of infection. Contractions typically occur as the precursor to spasms, and there a sign that your CNS is experiencing distress. With a contraction, you\u2019ll notice that one specific muscle group experiences a violent pull. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This movement only occurs once, and then feelings dissipate, but it\u2019s a sign of muscle spasms coming in the future. You may find that your muscle contraction happens at night, and the sudden pull can wake you from your sleep. If you notice that the frequency and intensity of the contractions continue to increase, then you could be looking at developing spasms in the day ahead.<\/span><\/wp-block><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Swelling and Inflammation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tetanus causes infection of the soft tissues in your skin around the site of the cut or wound. You\u2019ll notice that the skin turns bright red, starts to give off heat, and becomes sore to the touch as the infection spreads. With most cuts, you\u2019ll notice these signs of inflammation begin to decrease after 24-hours. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with tetanus infection, the wound is very slow to heal, and you\u2019ll notice a progression on inflammatory symptoms at the infection site increase steadily over the course of the week. If left untreated, the wound may start to excrete pus<\/a>, and continue to become very sore to the touch. Eventually, the injury begins to throb, and you should take this as a sign that there\u2019s something wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning out the wound may help to remove the toxins on the surface, but the tetanus infection is already in your blood, and you can expect nervous system symptoms to start to arrive shortly.<\/span><\/wp-block><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Elevated Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As tetanus spreads throughout the circulatory system, it begins to wreak havoc on heart rate causing symptoms of palpitations and slight chest pain from time to time. However, one of the signs you might not notice \u2013 is how the infection starts to increase your blood pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elevations in blood pressure might cause you to sweat more than you usually would, and you may notice a tightness in your neck or a throbbing sensation as blood rushes through the arteries. Elevations in blood pressure due to tetanus infection are not life-threatening, but they are a cause for concern \u2013 anything that disturbs your normal cardiac function has the potential to induce other symptoms of fatigue, restlessness, and chest pain.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as we mentioned \u2013 the chances are that you won\u2019t even notice these symptoms until you visit your doctor\u2019s office and the physician <\/a>takes your blood pressure. Your doctor can manage your condition using medication.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Risk Factors for Tetanus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with any other disease or infection, there is a set of risk factors that make you more likely to contract tetanus.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tetanus is a preventable infection, and a vaccine <\/a>is readily available. When we visit a hospital or a doctor\u2019s office for a check-up, most doctors will ask you if you\u2019ve had a tetanus vaccination. The vaccine stays active in your bloodstream for 10-years, preventing infection. However, if it\u2019s been a while since your last shot, the vaccine may have worn off, and you\u2019re at risk of contracting tetanus.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tetanus infection develops after these activities occur;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n