{"id":3739,"date":"2019-12-04T05:53:26","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T05:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=3739"},"modified":"2021-08-12T05:01:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T05:01:15","slug":"14-signs-of-sepsis-you-should-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/14-signs-of-sepsis-you-should-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Signs of Sepsis You Should Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The term sepsis describes a very serious type of infection that usually enters the body through a recent open wound. Anyone with an open and currently healing injury can be susceptible to developing sepsis in the wound \u2013 and it’s common after recent injuries have been improperly cleaned during the healing phase, or infection has been allowed to develop within the wound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes sepsis happens through visible outer wounds, although sometimes sepsis develops within an internal wound (commonly a surgical one) with only a few outward signs that can include ones like fever and nausea with no other signs that you would be associated with an open wound \u2013 and this can make sepsis hard to diagnose until the proper tests and scans have been done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sepsis is commonly a condition contracted at home, but sometimes also in hospitals, especially where the proper wound-cleaning procedure wasn’t followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 14 signs of sepsis that you should look for. 
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1. Fever<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A fever <\/a>or rising body temperature is usually one of the first signs that something is wrong. When someone develops a higher body temperature, it’s the body’s immune system drumming up the fever in response to something else, which is commonly an infection somewhere in the body that needs to be treated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fevers that last for longer than a few hours at a time without \u201cbreaking\u201d to a normal temperature should always warrant immediate medical attention. Most of the home remedies recommended for bringing down a fever are dangerous \u2013 cold water is one of the most commonly attempted remedies for a fever that do more harm than they can good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paracetamol should be the default first emergency treatment for a fever, and the only one that’s administered at home. If paracetamol doesn’t work to control the symptoms within a few hours, seek medical attention for further treatment to find the cause.  
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2. Decreased Urination Volume or Frequency<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Urination frequency and volume are frequently measured when someone is being evaluated for certain medical conditions, or when their surgical recovery or current physical condition needs to be assessed. Some medications can also change the urination volume and frequency of the person taking the medication and this has to be monitored over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it’s not just after surgery or in recovery that people should pay attention to their urinary habits. If you are urinating less or more than you normally do \u2013 either in frequency or volume \u2013 it’s time for an appointment with your doctor to find out why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several health factors that can lead to this sign, including diabetes (that commonly also includes fatigue<\/a> and a dry mouth as other signs), some medications and other health issues that can cause water retention \u2013 but it could also be sepsis if you experience it together with any other symptoms that appear on this list.\u00a0
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3. Lowered Blood Pressure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sudden instances of high or low blood pressure should mean immediate medical attention to find the cause. Blood pressure issues can be chronic and due to physical conditions or family history with physical conditions, or they can be of sudden-onset and related to other factors such as medication or underlying conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of these physical conditions, there are many that can cause this symptom. Some of them include malnutrition, anemia<\/a>, heart conditions \u2013 although there are many others. Because of the wide variety of things that can cause lowered blood pressure, an appointment with a medical doctor or a trip to the emergency room is the first recommendations where blood pressure consistently measures low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low blood pressure carries its own symptoms including seeing \u201cdots\u201d in vision, the feeling of pins and needles or a rapid heart rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporary low blood pressure can be caused by other underlying physical conditions, including sepsis. Leaving it untreated can be dangerous.
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4. Vision Distortion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you experience blurred vision together with some of the symptoms that have been mentioned on this list, you might experience sepsis. Some kind of vision distortion can be one of the first symptoms associated with severe infections <\/a>like sepsis, and this happens not only because of the fact that the infection can affect the eyes \u2013 but also the fact that the infection can affect organs like the kidneys, which in turn cause these effects elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vision and the organs are linked, and if you experience any symptoms like blurred vision or increasing blindness, you should make an appointment with your doctor to try and find the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where it’s not sepsis, distortion of vision can sometimes be because of other health issues like diabetes or chronic eye problems. If you aren’t sure what might be causing it and the issue doesn’t go away, see your doctor even if you don’t experience any of the other symptoms that have been mentioned here.
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5. Difficulty Breathing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Difficulty breathing or changes in the breathing rate (from faster to slower, or from slower to faster) are common in cases of sepsis. It can also be seen as a sign or symptom in many other types of severe infections <\/a>or times where the body is taking any kind of severe strain.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be one of the signs that manifest together with other ones such as a fever and night sweats, although you might also see this symptom on its own during any point of the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any changes in breathing rate should be taken note of and immediately reported to a medical professional, especially in the case of an existing infection or possible underlying medical condition. 
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6. Skin Discoloration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skin <\/a>discoloration is a symptom that one should always look for when suspecting an underlying infection, whether outward signs of an infected wound are obviously visible or not. It’s common for the skin to also be unusually warm or cold to the touch at the same time, usually surrounding or over the area where the discoloration takes place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice any discoloration of the skin together with a fever, it could be a sign of sepsis and you may or may not experience more symptoms from here. The discoloration of the skin can usually be tied to changes in blood flow due to a result of the infection \u2013 but it can sometimes also be a sign of underlying organ damage where the skin and eyes discolor towards yellow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It only takes simple blood tests to establish whether or not an infection is present, and a simple course of antibiotics could be all that’s needed in order to change something potentially fatal to something lifesaving. 
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7. Changes in Heart Rate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any changes in heart <\/a>rate will almost always be a sign of something in the body that should be checked out sooner rather than later. If you experience any changes in heart rate together with a fever or other symptoms on this list, it could be a sign of sepsis \u2013 and where it’s not a sign of sepsis, it can still turn out to be a sign of something else that should be diagnosed early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes in heart rate can sometimes mean a heart condition, although it could also mean a heart condition combined with existing sepsis: Both of these theoretical situations mean that you should make an appointment with your doctor or go to the emergency room to have your signs and symptoms assessed immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sepsis commonly increases the heart rate, but some stages of severe infection (whether sepsis or not) can also sometimes slow down the heart rate instead. 
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8. Shivering or shaking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shivering or shaking when there seems to be no other outside temperature <\/a>influence that could cause it is another common sign that goes together with severe infections anywhere in the body and commonly goes together with sepsis as an accompanying sign.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shivering or shaking that’s associated with sepsis and other infections happen due to the body temperature dropping as a result of the infection. In other cases, there are a few other disorders that this could potentially signal \u2013 and if you aren’t sure what’s causing your symptoms, you especially should get to medical attention so that the proper tests can be done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treating one condition when you might have another entirely is dangerous: See your doctor if you suspect any signs of an underlying infection, underlying disorder or underlying sepsis. From there, diagnosis and treatment are easier, and the doctor can adjust your treatment until your health is out of danger.
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9. Increased Tiredness or General Fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Feeling more tired than you should or feeling tired more often even though you appear to be getting enough sleep is one of the first signs that there’s something wrong and in need of treatment<\/a> \u2013 although the list of things this can potentially cause are vast. If you can combine tiredness or fatigue with some of the other signs on this list, it could be likely that you are suffering from sepsis \u2013 and you should seek immediate medical attention before it can spread further.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiredness is your body’s way of dealing with underlying infection, and it’s usually trying to force the body into getting more sleep so that it can try to deal with the infection on its own. While enough rest when sick is vitally important, there’s a point where rest alone isn’t enough to remedy an infection \u2013 and sepsis is serious enough that it should only be treated with the help of a doctor that can monitor the condition.
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10. Nausea and Vomiting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any nausea <\/a>and vomiting is usually the body’s way of indicating that it’s sick and battling an infection (and it’s one way the body has to attempt to expel toxins, although usually unsuccessfully, in response to the infection it’s currently fighting).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience any nausea and vomiting spells that last for more than a few hours, see your doctor and have yourself tested for a few possible things it could be: It’s the kind of symptom that can signal a hundred different medical conditions (including sepsis and other generalized infections), but it’s also the kind of symptom and sign that’s dangerous no matter what the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that vomiting can dehydrate the body exceptionally fast, especially when already ill and running a high-grade fever. Always seek medical attention where nausea and vomiting persist, even if you aren’t experiencing any other symptoms together with this. 
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11. Flushing of the Skin<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Discoloration of the skin <\/a>has already been mentioned as a potential sign of sepsis, but flushing of the skin is another separate symptom that should also be looked for when infection or sepsis is suspected as the cause of a condition. With serious infections and sepsis, the heart and blood flow can be severely affected \u2013 and it can cause characteristic flushing of the skin, usually red and hot, and usually near the site where the infection itself is present.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flushing of the skin is a symptom that will almost never occur on its own: If you experience flushing of the skin due to an underlying infection or sepsis, it’s likely that you are also experiencing other symptoms such as a fever or skin sensitivity along with it (and symptoms can get worse as the infection progresses further from there). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your symptoms don’t go away, see your doctor.
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12. Extreme Skin Sensitivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skin <\/a>sensitivity is one of the signs that might go together with shivers, a fever and night sweats: It can signal sepsis if you can tie it together with some of the other symptoms that are mentioned in this article, but keep in mind that there are also many other different things it can be a sign of. Skin sensitivity can sometimes signal conditions like the flu, but the same sign can also be present through a range of other conditions (and many of them will be displaying the same symptoms).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best thing to do if you experience skin sensitivity and you can’t track down the actual cause is to see your doctor. Just a few simple blood tests can establish the extent of what’s going on inside your body \u2013 and going for tests and treatment could be what saves your life if you’re suffering from sepsis and didn’t know it. 
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13. Night Sweats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Night sweats are a common symptom that’s seen in a variety of different infections and viruses <\/a>that hit the body, and it might be one of the signs of sepsis where you can tie it to another symptom mentioned on this list. Excessive sweating and shivering together with a fever is a sign that your body is fighting off an infection or illness \u2013 and usually in the more advanced stages.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the point night, sweats are experienced as a sign, it’s far past the point where the condition can be treated at home and the best course of action possible is to head straight for the emergency room where the condition can be assessed and treated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Night sweats are far more than just an uncomfortable symptom, but can also dehydrate the body at an alarming rate. Rehydrate where possible to replace lost fluid and seek medical attention ASAP.
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14. Lowered Body Temperature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even though most people might associate a higher body temperature <\/a>with an infection, a fever isn’t the only thing that might signal sepsis. A lowered body temperature can also happen in many cases of infections and infectious conditions, and it could signal that the heart and organs are taking far more strain than they should.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lowered or raised body temperature can both be serious symptoms and both of these mean immediate medical attention is required, even if no other symptoms are experienced at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can seem conflicting, but a lowered body temperature can also be frequently combined with shivers and sweating \u2013 and may or may not be combined together with other additional symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some patients, they might alternate between a lowered body temperature, fever, sweating and shaking with different signs shown at different stages. See a doctor rather than take any risks, and remember to be clear when describing the symptoms that go together with any signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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