Are there any symptoms during the incubation period of tetanus?

Tetanus is a relatively serious disease, mainly caused by poisoning of the nervous system by tetani bacteria. Severe cases can even lead to death. Its mortality rate is around 10% to 40%. When tetanus occurs, it has a certain incubation period. During the incubation period, the patient will experience physical fatigue, dizziness, headache and other symptoms. If the symptoms continue to worsen, it will cause convulsions, difficulty breathing, etc.

Are there any symptoms during the incubation period of tetanus?

At the beginning of the disease, the patient feels tired, dizzy, has a headache, has difficulty opening his mouth, his jaw is clenched, the muscles in the mouth and back of the neck are tense, immobile, sore, and he has an involuntary "bitter smile" on his face.

If not treated promptly, convulsions may occur, with the head, neck and legs tilted back like a bent bow, which is medically known as "opisthotonos". At this time, any slight stimulation can cause a convulsion.

When the patient has convulsions, he sweats profusely, his lips turn purple, and he has difficulty breathing. The convulsions may last for several seconds or minutes. The intervals can be long or short, and the more severe the condition, the more frequent the attacks. Some patients may even break tendons, dislocate joints, or bite their tongues during convulsions; severe cases may even suffocate to death.

Complications of tetanus

In addition to fractures, urinary retention, and respiratory arrest, the following complications may occur:

1. Suffocation: due to persistent spasm of laryngeal respiratory muscles and phlegm blocking the trachea;

2. Lung infection: Laryngeal spasm, poor respiratory tract, bronchial secretion stagnation, and inability to turn over frequently are all causes of pneumonia and atelectasis;

3. Acidosis: respiratory acidosis caused by poor breathing and insufficient ventilation, strong muscle contraction, incomplete decomposition of body fat after fasting, which increases acidic metabolites and causes metabolic acidosis;

4. Circulatory failure: Due to hypoxia and poisoning, tachycardia may occur, which may lead to heart failure after a long time, and even shock or cardiac arrest. These complications are often the main cause of death in patients, and prevention and treatment should be strengthened.