Sepsis puts over 1 million Americans in hospitals each year. It’s still one of the top 10 deadly diseases in the US. Can you recognize the early warning signs? No? Keep reading.
Sepsis
It’s an improper immune response to an injury or disease. The chemicals released in your body cause inflammation instead of healing the wound.
Sepsis develops in three main stages:
Sepsis
The infection enters blood and causes body-wide inflammation.
Severe sepsis
The infection affects organs.
Septic shock
Blood pressure goes down, sufferers deal with respiratory failure, heart failure, stroke, organ failure and even death.
Sepsis may develop in anyone, but pregnant women, elderly, children and immunocompromised people are more vulnerable to it. Patients usually develop sepsis in the hospitals while being treated for a different health condition. This happens because the body’s defensive system is weak and exposed to infections.
UK mom recognizes early symptoms in her child
This mom’s son fell over at the zoo, but she cleaned the wound, and he felt good. There was no infection, and the family went to the beach. The kid showed her his hand, and she was really shocked. There was a red line down his vein, and his elbow looked the same, too.
The urgent care doctor knew it was blood poisoning. The mom was right, and she recognized the symptoms on time. Sepsis isn’t something you ignore, and it requires immediate help.
So, if you notice a red line running from a wound along the surrounding veins, go to your doctor. You can save someone’s life!
Common symptoms of sepsis
Here are some of the early signs of sepsis:
- High fever (Above 101ºF/38ºC)
- Low temperature below 96.8ºF/36ºC
- High heart rate (higher than 90 beats per minute)
- High breathing rate (higher than 20 breaths per minute)
- Infection
Here are the symptoms of severe sepsis:
- discolored skin patches
- decreased urination
- cognition issues
- low platelet count
- breathing difficulty
- abnormal heart function
- shivering, chills
- unconsciousness
- extreme fatigue
Septic shock is manifested through extremely low blood pressure and the symptoms mentioned above.
Sepsis can kill you. Simple as that. Pay attention to your wounds and their healing. If you notice a red line and any of the symptoms we listed in this article, call your doctor immediately.
Sepsis isn’t something you forget about, and you should ask for medical help as soon as possible. It won’t disappear overnight. Keep that in mind. Share this information and save someone’s life.
