{"id":6191,"date":"2019-04-30T04:19:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T04:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6191"},"modified":"2021-04-01T18:17:17","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T18:17:17","slug":"14-important-things-to-know-about-necrotizing-fasciitis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-important-things-to-know-about-necrotizing-fasciitis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Important Things to Know About Necrotizing Fasciitis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to necrotizing fasciitis, there are several important things that you need to know about this illness. This is such a serious disease that everyone should learn as much as they can about it and know exactly what the symptoms are, how quickly it progresses and what exactly they should do if they think that they have necrotizing fasciitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list that we have compiled here is of many of the things that you need to know about the illness if you are going to identify when you have it. Some of these can be rather alarming and it can be scary to think about, but it is much better to be informed than not informed because lots of people get this illness and not even realize that they have it until they are in the later stages when it is too late to do anything. You definitely need to see your doctor as soon as possible or go to the emergency room if you suspect even a little that you have the flesh-eating disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. There Are Several Ways to Get Infected<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first things that you should know about necrotizing fasciitis<\/a> is that there are several different ways that you can get infected. Some people get this disease due to a minor cut that they have received or even an insect bite. Even an abrasion can allow enough room for the bacteria to get inside the layer of skin and began to spread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There also have been cases where a person was infected after having surgery in a hospital room. Hospital borne infections are not uncommon, and if you are discharged quickly after surgery, the hospital staff can miss the initial signs of necrotizing fasciitis. However, if you are familiar with the symptoms, then you stand a much better chance of convincing them to do a test and find out for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. It Can Often Result in Death<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You should know right away that this disease often results in death. In fact, out of the several hundred cases that exist each year in the United States, anywhere between 25% and 35% of them result in death. If you get this disease, it is very serious and you need to seek medical attention right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are ways that you can minimize the spread of the disease and give yourself the best chance for life as possible, but the most important thing you can do is make sure you get medical treatment <\/a>immediately once you suspect that you have the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Necrotizing fasciitis is caused by bacteria, so getting on a strong dose of IV antibiotics gives you a much better chance of fighting the disease then doing it on your own. The chance of death is reduced if you can get treatment right away, just as it is higher if you allow the disease to run its course without any treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. It Moves Really Fast Throughout the Body<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is an important fact to understand. The disease can move through the body in a matter of days. It starts also innocuously that you may not even realize that you have necrotizing fasciitis \u2013 or flesh-eating disease \u2013 until it is far too late. That\u2019s why it is so important that you understand what the symptoms <\/a>are, how quickly each set of symptoms lasts and how long the entire disease less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the first 24 hours, there is usually a great deal of pain from the cutter abrasion \u2013 more than you would expect, as well as redness, warmth, flulike symptoms, intense thirst and more. After 24 to 36 hours, symptoms may move on to blisters, discoloration, foul-smelling liquid, purplish rashes and other marks on the body. The disease can run its course and just for five days and end up with a severe drop in blood pressure, the body going in the toxic shock, unconsciousness and eventually death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. It is Extremely Painful<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you get this illness, then you are in for some pain<\/a>, unfortunately. This is an extremely painful disease and it will remain that way throughout the entire course of it until you either recover from it or you die. The good news is if you can seek medical attention not only will you be able to get on a course of IV antibiotics right away which can help to get rid of disease and perhaps save your life, but they will also be able to put you on painkillers that actually work such as morphine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain will get worse throughout the course of the disease until the combination of antibiotics and your body\u2019s own immune system are able to work together to start getting rid of it, but if you are in a hospital than you should be able to recover from the disease as comfortably as you possibly can from something like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. There will be Internal & External Symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You will notice a number of symptoms from this disease both internal and external. For example, one of the internal symptoms that you may notice is a feeling of dehydration. Dehydration <\/a>is pretty common in many diseases and even in colds and flus, but you want to pay attention to the presence of this symptom along with other external symptoms such as bruising, blistering, discoloration of the skin, peeling of the skin around the area that was affected by the bacteria and pronounced pain within that area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will likely notice a great deal more pain within the affected area than would be normal for a small cut or abrasion. You may also notice skin flakiness and bad smells due to the tissue death that is occurring. It is understanding these internal and external symptoms that will help you identify the disease so you can get treated right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. It Starts With Simple Flu-Like Symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This disease starts out very innocently with flulike symptoms. You may think that you are coming down with a cold or getting the flu when you are in fact seeing the spread of necrotizing fasciitis. Flulike symptoms like diarrhea<\/a>, nausea, fever, dizziness, fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell are all very common with necrotizing fasciitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they are also quite common with simply having a cold or flu. The difference here is that you have to look for additional symptoms. Most notably, the area where the bacteria-infected you \u2013 the cut or abrasion on your body \u2013 will be more painful than you would expect. You can also expect to find bruising and discoloration in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. The Last Stage Includes Shock, Unconsciousness & Death<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The last stage of the disease will result in shock that will make it impossible to do anything and that will eventually lead to unconsciousness and then death. What is so scary about this is that it can happen within 3 to 5 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disease moves incredibly fast throughout the body and you can get infected <\/a>on day one, not even realize you are sick until the day to and be past the point of no return on day three. That\u2019s why it is absolutely vital that you learn these symptoms, watch out for them every time you get a cut or abrasion that you think might be infected, and seek emergency care if you even suspect you have necrotizing fasciitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. You Can be Treated for Necrotizing Fasciitis <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are treatments available for this disease. The main recommendation is to go to the hospital the minutes that you realize that you have the disease \u2013 even if you only somewhat suspect it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is better to be safe than sorry, and any hospital emergency room will be equipped to take a look at the cut or abrasion and determine whether or not it is infected \u2013 or do tests on the area to find out if the presence of the necrotizing fasciitis bacteria <\/a>is on the surface of the skin or has made it into the area between skin layers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IV antibiotics may be able to kill the bacteria before it can spread to the vital parts of the body if you get treatment early enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

9. Group A Strep is the Common Cause<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reports of flesh-eating bacteria turning up on America’s East coast sent the media into a frenzy. Many publications ran pieces with titles that include the use of language like \u201cflesh-eating bacteria.\u201d In reality, there are many different subtypes of bacteria that can cause the onset of necrotizing fasciitis. The most common type of bacteria is known as group A Streptococcus<\/a>. These bacteria are the most common species found in patients that are dealing with the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step A bacteria don\u2019t always cause necrotizing fasciitis. However, they are present in over 90-percent of reported cases to the CDC. The bacteria spread fast in the body, taking over the localized area of the infection site while infecting the body with severe flu-like symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the disease progresses, the bacteria colonize further and start to interfere with the brain, where they may cause the onset of encephalitis or swelling of the brain. If the patient does not receive prompt treatment, they run the risk of falling into a coma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

10. The CDC Tracks Necrotizing Fasciitis <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Centers for Disease Control in the United States tracks all infectious diseases that are a cause for public health concern. The CDC accounts for all cases of necrotizing fasciitis, and they rely on information relayed by healthcare providers for details of the infection rates and prevalence of the disease <\/a>across the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The treasure-trove of information harbored by the CDC with regards to necrotizing fasciitis is fascinating for medical researchers. The extensive recording of the disease allows researchers to get an idea of the most common sites across the country for infection, as well as the outcomes for patients infected with the bacteria responsible for the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the majority of cases, necrotizing fasciitis occurs due to infection with a strain of bacteria from the Strep A Group of bacteria. Most cases are also on the eastern seaboard of the United States, with Florida being the most recent state with a cause for concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

11. Good Wound Care is Vital to Prevent Infection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You must take care of yourself if you want to avoid infection. If you receive damage to your skin, you must clean it properly to prevent pathogens<\/a> from penetrating the skin barrier. The pathogens responsible for causing necrotizing fasciitis are fast-moving bacteria that can penetrate even the tiniest breaks in the skin. Therefore, also if you only get a small scrape, make sure you disinfect the surface with some antiseptic ointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People that receive large wounds need to be extra careful with their treatment and recovery. If you recently had an operation that involved invasive surgery, then post-operative care of the injury is critical to avoid infection. It\u2019s easy for diseases to spread, especially in large wounds that are still healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a wound that\u2019s still healing, avoid bodies of water. The most recent cases of flesh-eating bacteria come from the coastline of Florida, as well as the Great Lakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

12. Early Diagnosis Is Critical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Necrotizing fasciitis is a fast-moving disease that can quickly present infected individuals with a life-threatening situation. Unfortunately, research shows that infection with the bacteria responsible for the condition results in the death of the patient in over 80-percent of cases. Those individuals that survived the condition found medical help early on before the disease had a chance to spread throughout the bloodstream<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early identification of symptoms is vital for improving the patient\u2019s outcome. Doctors treat the infection using surgery to remove necrotic skin, as well as antibiotics to prevent the disease from spreading in the body of the affected individual. The symptoms of the condition are aggressive and come on quickly. Therefore, if the patient starts to feel sick, and they have a cut somewhere on their body, its best to get them to the emergency room as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If left undiagnosed, the patient will experience the onset of encephalitis that could result in the patient suffering a seizure where they fall into a coma and die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

13. No Contagion Factor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the bacteria responsible for causing necrotizing fasciitis is both aggressive and possibly fatal, it has no contagion factor. This title means that you cannot catch the disease from an infected individual, the same way that you would catch a case of the flu or bronchitis<\/a>. The bacteria need to be present on the surface of the skin, close to the wound to establish infection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most cases of necrotizing fasciitis occur randomly in the population, and most people have no idea how they got infected in the first place. Therefore, doctors will not treat family members of the patient with antibiotics to prevent infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when the patient is amid the symptoms like a fever and running sinus, they are not contagious. Don\u2019t be afraid to give a friend or family member help because you think you might get sick, take them to the emergency room as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

14. Risk Factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with any other medical condition, there is a group of risk factors<\/a> that make a subset of the population more prone to contracting necrotizing fasciitis more than others. If you find yourself listed in the high-risk groups below, make sure you take preventative matters seriously. When heading into areas that have exposure risk for the disease, make sure you have access to a first aid kit and antiseptic lotion to avoid infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most anyone can catch the bacteria responsible for the condition. However, most cases occur in individuals that are already dealing with an underlying health disorder or disease. Kidney disease, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and cancer are all infections that can increase your risk of contracting the bacteria responsible for causing necrotizing fasciitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These people have compromised immune systems that make it easier for the bacteria to infect tissues around the wound and then spread through the bloodstream to other regions of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\r\n

<\/div>