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Tetanus
Surprising
Ways You Can Get Tetanus — Not Just From Rusty Nails
Work in
your home garden puts you at risk
Cleveland
Clinic
When the sun is
shining, you can’t wait to get out and work in the garden.
But before you get
your hands dirty, ask yourself a question. When was your last tetanus shot?
A tetanus
shot is only good for ten years. If it’s been more than that since
your last tetanus shot, don’t go to the garden.
Go to your doctor.
You may be at risk
for a deadly disease that has no cure: tetanus.
Most people link
tetanus with rusty nails. But tetanus is everywhere. It in soil, dust and
animal waste.
You can get it from
insect bites, animal bites, scratches, or tiny crack in the skin. And more than
30 percent of all tetanus injuries occur in the garden.
Tetanus does not
always involve noticeable punctures
Infectious disease
specialist Susan
Rehm, MD, tells of a home gardener recently admitted with an advanced case
of tetanus.
The patient didn’t
know how he had contracted the disease. He had no visible punctures. Then a
close examination of his hands revealed the culprit.
There was an almost
invisible splinter in the pad of his thumb.
Fortunately, the
patient survived. But only after six months in intensive care.
Not all patients are
so lucky. Nearly ten percent of cases in North America are fatal. In
non-western societies, the death rate is much higher.
Tetanus is hard to diagnose.
Here’s how it starts.
The spores of the tetanus bacteria enter the bloodstream through a break in the
skin. They thrive and germinate inside the body.
The germinating
spores produce a toxin that disrupts the nervous system. It first affects the
nerves nearest to the break in the skin.
Then it spreads to
the spinal cord and brain. Within five to ten days, tetanus shows its most
frightening symptom – lockjaw.
The patient’s neck
stiffens. There is difficulty swallowing. The abdomen grows rigid.
As the toxins spread,
general muscle spasms begin. These symptoms can go on for weeks.
Once tetanus is
underway, there is no stopping it. Tetanus can only be managed. It can’t be
cured.
The good news about
tetanus
The good news is that
tetanus is easy to prevent.
There is a highly
effective vaccine.
It delivers full immunity from tetanus.
It is first
administered in a series of three shots. After that it needs to be renewed with
a single booster, every ten years.
Dr. Rehm advises
patients to receive at least one dose of Tdap – the tetanus/diphtheria vaccine
that also protects against whooping cough (pertussis). Adults ages 19 to 64
years should receive this one-time booster vaccine.
In addition to
protecting adults against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough, Tdap
immunization of adults protects infants they may come into contact with against
whooping cough.
Adults over age 64
years should also receive a booster vaccine if they will come into close
contact with infants younger than 12 months old.
Cleveland
Clinic
is one of the largest and most respected hospitals in the country. Our mission
is to provide better care of the sick, investigation into their problems, and
further education of those who serve. Learn more about our leadership, vision,
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