With the development of medicine, humanity has overcome many terrible diseases — plague, leprosy, tuberculosis. Tetanus, from which, according to legend, the son of Hippocrates died, since the middle of the last century, also does not belong to the category of incurable diseases. But, unfortunately, it still often affects people living in rural areas or summer residents. Why is this happening? How to recognize a disease and what to do to avoid getting sick, you will learn from this article.
Fearless neighbor…
My neighbor in the dacha, who drenched himself in cold water in the morning and sported the same t-shirt all summer, did not recognize gloves when planting seedlings or working in the garden. To all my arguments about the need to observe the simplest personal hygiene, he always waved off: “the Earth requires hands, and in your rubber, neither I will feel it, nor it me!»
It was only after one day, after scratching his finger on a rusty nail that had lain in the ground for a long time, that neighbor went to the hospital two days later and literally miraculously survived, that he abruptly changed his opinion about gardening gloves. Now he has a whole collection of them for different types of cottage work. And when I laugh at his suddenly overgrown “wardrobe” and remind him of his special attitude to the earth, he only sighs heavily: “What did you want? Tetanus is no joke!”
What is tetanus?
Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium (Clostridium tetani), or tetanus Bacillus. This bacterium lives almost everywhere: in the soil, in reservoirs, in the intestines of many animals — and even humans. But the deadly danger is not it itself, but the toxin that its spores produce in the absence of oxygen and at high temperatures.
The optimal picture of infection looks like this: Clostridium spores are introduced into the human body through a deep wound surface. This can happen if you step on a rusty rake with your bare foot or cut your hand on a wire or nail that has been lying in the ground for some time. Tetanus caused the death of women who gave birth in the field, on the ground, and delivered using non-sterile instruments.
If the wound is not disinfected in time — or, on the contrary, overdo it and apply too tight a bandage that will block access to oxygen, then an ideal environment will be created for the emergence of a toxin that is fatal to humans. At the same time, the victim himself does not pose a threat to others, he is not contagious — but without medical assistance, he is doomed.
Signs of tetanus
Another insidious feature of tetanus is that the incubation period (the length of time from the beginning of infection to the appearance of symptoms of the disease) can last as long as two days, or 14 days. You will not remember about the wound from a rusty nail, and the disease will inexorably progress. The following signs can indicate the presence of tetanus:
- pulling pain at the site of the wound,
- constant tension in the nape of the neck,
- difficulty swallowing,
- temperature rise,
- profuse sweating,
- salivation,
- heart palpitations,
- a characteristic facial expression defect called a
- sardonic smile (the forehead is wrinkled, and the mouth is forced to smile).
In advanced cases, body convulsions begin, paralysis of the respiratory organs occurs, which leads to a fatal outcome.
How to treat tetanus
The only chance to save a person’s life if tetanus is suspected is to inject them with anti-tetanus serum at an early stage. This is what doctors do in the emergency room, even with minor wounds, to exclude tetanus.
Fortunately, there is also a tetanus vaccination, which is included in the calendar of mandatory for children: at 3 months, at 1.5 years, at 6 years, and in the future with a break of 10 years until the end of life. Therefore, by refusing to vaccinate a child, parents put his life in mortal danger.
Tetanus prevention
Is there any way to protect yourself from tetanus? Yes, if it is elementary to minimize the possibility of” meeting ” with Clostridium. To do this, it is enough to strictly adhere to simple security measures when working in the country.
- Wear the most closed clothing and shoes, so as not to get hurt on rusty iron or old wood.
- All work with the ground should be carried out only in gloves.
- Any cuts and wounds are immediately treated with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, and then-with green or iodine.
- If a deep wound of a stabbing nature, without applying a tight bandage to it, seek medical help as soon as possible.