Tetanus
Alternate Names : Lockjaw
What are the signs and symptoms of the infection?
Symptoms of tetanus usually begin 5 to 10 days after a wound or umbilical cord has been infected. However, the symptoms may occur as early as 2 days and as late as 50 days after exposure. The onset occurs slowly over a few days to a week.
Muscle spasms start out in a mild fashion in one specific part of the body. The most frequent symptom is a stiff jaw. This is caused by spasm of the muscle that closes the mouth. This accounts for the disease's familiar name "lockjaw." The spasms may then become severe and spread throughout the body.
Other symptoms of tetanus include the following:
arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
coma
difficulty breathing
difficulty swallowing
high blood pressure
irritability
neck pain or stiffness
restlessness
seizures
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