Tetanus often begins with mild spasms in the jaw muscles (lockjaw). The spasms can also affect your chest, neck, back, and abdominal muscles. Back muscle spasms often cause arching, called opisthotonos. Sometimes, the spasms affect muscles that help with breathing, which can lead to breathing problems.
A common first sign of tetanus is muscular stiffness in the jaw (lockjaw). Other symptoms include stiffness of the neck, trouble swallowing, painful muscle stiffness all over the body, spasms, sweating, and fever.
Doctors diagnose tetanus based on a physical exam, medical and vaccination history, and the signs and symptoms of muscle spasms, muscle rigidity and pain. A laboratory test would likely be used only if your doctor suspects another condition causing the signs and symptoms.
The symptoms of tetanus usually develop 4 to 21 days after infection. On average, they start after around 10 days. The main symptoms include: stiffness in your jaw muscles (lockjaw), which can make opening your mouth difficult.
0 or 1 – Mild tetanus; mortality below 10% 2 or 3 – Moderate tetanus; mortality of 10-20% 4 – Severe tetanus; mortality of 20-40% 5 or 6 – Very severe tetanus; mortality above 50%
Localized tetanus is an unusual form of the disease consisting of muscle spasms in a confined area close to the site of the injury. Although localized tetanus often occurs in people with partial immunity and is usually mild, progression to generalized tetanus can occur.
Symptoms of tetanus may not begin to appear until a week after the injury, so as a rule of thumb, try to get the tetanus booster shot within 48 hours of the injury. If tetanus is left untreated, your body could face long-term complications such as airway obstruction, heart failure, muscle damage, and/or brain damage.
Pain, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, mild fever, headache, feeling tired, and nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomachache sometimes happen after Tdap vaccination.
You may have stiff and weak muscles only in the area of the wound. This is called localized tetanus. Symptoms may go away without treatment, or they may spread. Infection that spreads is called generalized.
People often call tetanus “lockjaw” because one of the most common signs of this infection is tightening of the jaw muscles. Tetanus infection can lead to serious health problems, including being unable to open the mouth and having trouble swallowing and breathing.
You should suspect tetanus if a cut or wound is followed by one or more of these symptoms: Stiffness of the neck, jaw, and other muscles, often accompanied by a sneering, grinning expression. Difficulty swallowing. Fever.
Diagnosis. Doctors can diagnose tetanus by asking about recent history of cuts, scrapes, punctures, and trauma, and examining someone for certain signs and symptoms. There are no hospital lab tests that can confirm tetanus.
As with any vaccine or medicine, there is a very small chance of a tetanus shot causing a severe allergic reaction or other serious reaction. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness or weakness.
If you do not have a cut or wound, you do not need to get a tetanus shot – regardless of your exposure to floodwater. If you get a cut or puncture wound and haven't had a tetanus shot, then you will need to get one.
Tetanus can lead to serious health problems, including being unable to open the mouth and having trouble swallowing and breathing, possibly leading to death (10% to 20% of cases). Tetanus is uncommon in the United States, with an average of 30 reported cases each year.
Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. When these bacteria enter the body, they produce a toxin that causes painful muscle contractions.
How long does it take to recover from tetanus? Once tetanus symptoms develop, it can take two to three weeks for the disease to run its course. With proper treatment, most people recover. But it can take several months to fully recover from tetanus.
Your arm may be sore and tender, or you may have a headache for the next day or two. However, millions of Americans don't know about serious tetanus shot side effects in adults, such as SIRVA or brachial neuritis. These vaccine injuries often take months or even years to recover from.
If you have an injury where you think tetanus could be a possibility and haven't had a booster shot within the past 5 years, you should get to the hospital within 24 hours. It's important to know that the size of the wound doesn't matter when it comes to tetanus.
Tetanus is a life-threatening disease. If you have signs or symptoms of tetanus, seek emergency care. If you have a simple, clean wound — and you've had a tetanus shot within 10 years — you can care for your wound at home.
A tetanus shot may be required if you have not had one within 10 years; if you are not sure when you had your last tetanus shot, and you've been bitten, you should get one within 72 hours after your injury. If bitten, but the bleeding is minor, cleanse and treat the wound as you would a minor wound.
What does tetanus look like on the skin? Tetanus infections do not cause a rash and the wound will not show signs of tetanus. The first symptoms can take days, weeks, or even months to appear and usually start at the jaw. From the outside, tetanus may look like muscle tightness in the jaw, neck, and face.
The tetanus bacteria can infect a person even through a tiny scratch. But you're more likely to get tetanus through deep punctures from wounds created by nails or knives. The bacteria travel via blood or nerves to the central nervous system.
The tetanus bacteria produce a toxin, which causes severe muscle spasms, leading to “locking” of the jaw, making it hard to open the mouth or swallow.