overview
- Swollen glands in a child with diphtheria
- Open Diphtheria Pop-up Dialog
- Diphtheria (dif-THEER-e-uh) is a serious bacterial infection that usually affects the lining of the nose and throat. Diphtheria is extremely rare in the United States and other developed countries thanks to widespread vaccination against the disease.
Diphtheria can be treated with medication. However, at an advanced stage, diphtheria can damage the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. Even during treatment, diphtheria can be fatal, especially in children. Diphtheria treatment in Khammam
symptom
Signs and symptoms of diphtheria usually begin two to five days after a person is infected and can include:
- A thick, gray membrane covers the throat and tonsils
- Sore throat and hoarseness
- Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in the neck
- Difficulty breathing or breathing quickly
- Runny nose
- Fever and chills
- Light pain
The reasons
Diphtheria is caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The bacteria usually multiply on or near the surface of the throat. C. diphtheriae is spread by:
Droplets in the air. When an infected person’s sneeze or cough releases a mist of contaminated droplets, people nearby may breathe C. diphtheriae. Diphtheria can be spread easily this way, especially in crowded conditions.
Contaminated personal or household items. People sometimes get diphtheria when handling things from an infected person, such as used tissues or towels, that may be contaminated with the bacteria. You can also transmit the bacteria that cause diphtheria by touching an infected wound. Diphtheria treatment in Khammam
Risk factors
- People at increased risk of developing diphtheria include:Children and adults who do not have current vaccines
- People who live in crowded or unsanitary conditions
- Anyone traveling to an area where diphtheria infections are more common
- Diphtheria is rare in the United States and Western Europe, where children have been vaccinated against the disease for decades. However, diphtheria is still widespread in developing countries with low vaccination rates.
Complications
If left untreated, diphtheria can cause:
Difficulty breathing. The bacteria that cause diphtheria can produce a toxin. This toxin damages the tissues in the immediate area of infection – usually in the nose and throat. At this point, the infection creates a tough, gray membrane made up of dead cells, bacteria, and other substances. This membrane can interfere with breathing.
Heart damage. Diphtheria toxin can spread into your bloodstream and damage other tissues in your body, such as the heart muscle, causing complications such as inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). Heart damage from myocarditis can be mild or severe. In the worst case, myocarditis can lead to heart failure and sudden death.
Nerve damage. The toxin can also cause nerve damage. Typical targets are the nerves in the throat, where poor nerve conduction can lead to swallowing difficulties. The nerves in the arms and legs can also become inflamed, causing muscle weakness.
When the diphtheria toxin damages the nerves that help control the muscles used to breathe, these muscles can become paralyzed. At this point, you may need mechanical assistance to breathe.
prevention
- Before antibiotics were available, diphtheria was a common disease in young children. Today the disease is not only treatable, but also preventable with a vaccine.
- The diphtheria vaccine is usually combined with vaccines for tetanus and pertussis (pertussis). The three-in-one vaccine is known as the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine. The latest version of this vaccine is known as the DTaP vaccine for children and the Tdap vaccine for adolescents and adults.
- The diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine is one of the childhood vaccines recommended by doctors in the United States for infancy. The vaccination consists of a series of five injections, usually given to the arm or thigh, and given to children of this age: Diphtheria treatment in Khammam