1\. THIS CHILD & THIS MAN DIED OF #TETANUS!
It is a terrible disease that enters your body through #wounds & can kill in days if nothing is done fast!
{SHARE to create awareness!}
2\. #Tetanus results from a #toxin produced by the bacteria called Clostridium tetani.
This toxin makes your muscles to contract on their own (i.e. involuntarily), becoming rigid like this;
3\. Tetanus lives in soil & animal feces. It can live there for years. It may then enter your body through:
-#Wounds contaminated with soil or feces
-Skin #punctures by nonsterile needles (e.g. when injecting illegal drugs, #tattoo or body piercing)
4\. Unfortunately, sometimes the injury is so small people don't even go to a doctor & can't remember when it happened.
Injuries that involve dead skin (such as #burns, #frostbite, #gangrene, or crush injuries) are more likely to cause #tetanus.
5\. Occasionally, tetanus results when a woman's womb or #uterus is damaged during an induced #abortion or #childbirth.
In some places in #Nigeria 🇳🇬 & other developing countries, soil contamination of the stump of the umbilical #cord causes tetanus in newborns.
6\. Tetanus bacteria produce #spores. These are inactive or dormant.
The spores enable tetanus bacteria to survive when environmental conditions are difficult.
When conditions are favorable, the spores grow into bacteria.
7\. Once in the body, this bacteria start to produce #toxins which travel throughout the body & stop certain #nerves from sending signals to other nerves.
As a result, muscles start to contract on their own.
8\. Tetanus commonly kills by causing #asphyxia (deficient supply of oxygen to the body due to abnormal breathing), or sudden cardiac death.
9\. #Vaccination during childhood plus #booster doses every 10 years during adulthood can prevent tetanus.
That's why tetanus occurs mainly in people who have not been vaccinated or not kept their vaccinations up to date.
9\. We can defeat #tetanus by spreading this message & encouraging both adults & children to ensure they are well #immunized against tetanus.
You never can tell when you'll sustain an injury!
#FirstDoctor #Tetanus #MedTwitter
❤️ Follow @Dr_Atangwho 👈 for daily health alerts.
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