🔬Tetanus💉
“Lockjaw”
What is tetanus??😷
Tetanus is a bacterial infection that causes the nervous system am and muscles to tighten throughout the entire body. It’s all know as “Lockjaw” because the infection often causes contractions in the jaw and neck however it can spread to other parts of your body. Tetanus is disease that is caused by by nerve toxins produced by bacterium clostridium tetani. This bacterium is fond in different places around the world in the soil and also in humans and animals intestines.
How common is tetanus?? 🩺
As of today tetanus is not very common but has been reported to an average of 30 reported cases each year. Most of the cases included individuals who did not receive proper tetanus vaccination. This includes people and also adult who don’t receive a tetanus vaccine and adults who don’t get their 10 year booster shots.
Causes and transmission🔩
Objects
The most common way people usually get tetanus is stepping on nails or other sharp objects. This allows for the bacteria to get through the host and enter through breaks of skin.
Contamination
Some other ways Tetanus bacteria can infect certain breaks in your skin is through wound contaminated with dirt, poop, or salvia.
Injuries
Wound caused by an object puncturing the skin, like a nail or needle. Tetanus can also infects breaks in the skin like burns, crush injuries, and injuries with dead tissue.
Symptoms and complication🤒
“Lockjaw”
This is first systems is most commonly spasms of the muscles of the jaw and also jaw cramping. This is why Tetanus is most referred to as lock jaw.
Serious health problems
One of the many health problem that a course is pneumonia. Which is a lung infection that develops by breathing in foreign materials [aspiration pneumonia].
Muscle problems
Once you have tetanus you will start having sudden or involuntary muscular tightening often in the stomach. You will have painful muscle stiffness all over the body. You will also see trouble swallowing headache, fever and sweating occur.
🚨Vaccinations🚨
The best way to prevent and make sure your safe is to be vaccinated. Being up to date with your tetanus vaccination is the best way to prevent it. The reason why is because protection from vaccines, as well as prior infections do not last a life time. This means that if you had tetanus or got the vaccine for it you still need to get vaccine to regularly keep a high level of protection against this serious disease.
For more details
Go to the cdc website for more information.