Live Life Team
Toxic shock syndrome or TSS is a rare but fatal disease caused due to infection by bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterium that causes the disease. It enters into the blood stream and discharges poisonous toxins. The toxins in the blood lead to a huge dip in the blood pressure and results in shock. These bacteria can also harm the tissues and important organs resulting in death. Every year almost 20 people get affected by toxic shock syndrome in the UK and 2 or 3 die due to the disease. This condition is common among people who are young and women under the age of 25 are most likely to get affected. There are cases of older people getting infected too but it is rare.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is that one gets a sudden high fever. Other symptoms that follow after the occurrence of fever are vomiting, rashes of the skin, diarrhoea, fainting of giddiness, aching of the muscles and confusion.
One has to go to the doctor immediately if one has high fever and has one or more of the aforementioned symptoms. However there are cases when the symptoms may look like that of toxic shock syndrome. In any case, it is advisable to visit the doctor immediately.
Causes
Although doctors have been doing research on toxic shock syndrome for more than 20 years, little has been known and understood about it. About 20% to 30% of the people’s skin and nose and usually does not cause any serious problems. The body fights the toxins with the help of proteins known as antibodies. These proteins are not produced in some people and the reason for this is unknown. Some claim that tampons also cause the toxic shock syndrome. It may be because they are made of absorbent type material and that serves as a breeding ground for bacteria, but the theory has not yet been proven. What is certain is that the bacteria enter through wounds, infection, burns, vagina or throat and spread the toxins in the blood. Once the toxins enter the blood the symptoms surfaces and harm vital organs.
Diagnosis
The only way to find out if a person suffers from toxic shock syndrome is to check for symptoms and simultaneously find out if all the organs of the body are working. The working of the organs can be checked through blood test and urine test. It can be concluded that the patient is affected by toxic shock syndrome when the patient has fever, a systolic blood pressure of less than 90 mmHg, rashes on the skin or three or more organs of the patient stop working.
Treatment
The two crucial things to keep in mind for a doctor treating someone with toxic shock syndrome are crap the infection and support the affected organs
Treatment is given in the hospital. Oxygen is given to help in breathing and liquids are given to increase the blood pressure to normal. Usually the kidneys get affected first, in which case the dialysis machine is used. If the tissues are affected then they need to be cleaned or in extreme cases the body part has to be amputated.
