Typhoid Fever Symptoms

Typhoid fever, sometimes simply referred to as typhoid, is an ailment associated with infection of Salmonella typhi bacteria. The bacteria responsible for this condition grows best at a temperature of 99°F, and is transmitted by ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces of the infected person. Typhoid fever symptoms, which range from progressive fever to enlarged spleen and liver, are quite useful in diagnosis of this condition.

Causes

As we said earlier, an individual can contract typhoid when he comes in contact with food or water contaminated by an infected person. An individual suffering from typhoid fever contaminates the water in the surroundings through his stool, which have a high concentration of Salmonella typhi bacteria. Contaminated water in turn leads to contamination of food. It is known to survive for several days in water or dry sewage. At times, a person may unknowingly act as a carrier of the bacteria, as a result of suffering from mild typhoid wherein the symptoms difficult to notice.

Symptoms

Although they differ from individual to individual, symptoms of typhoid fever do help in diagnosing the ailment. Based on the observation, the doctor may recommend some blood tests to confirm whether the person is suffering from typhoid fever. Commonly observed symptoms include progressive fever, profuse sweating, diarrhea, lethargy, gastroenteritis, etc. These symptoms are known to worsen with time, and hence it is necessary to initiate treatment for typhoid fever at the earliest.

First Week
In the very first week, the person experiences gradual rise in body temperature, malaise, cough, headache and bradycardia. In some cases, the patient may also experience bloody nose and abdominal pain. White blood cell count also decreases to a great extent, which in turn hampers the immune system. In fact, Widal test, which is most often recommended for diagnosis of typhoid fever, tends to come negative in first week in most of the typhoid cases.

Second Week
In the second week, the fever associated with typhoid reaches a plateau phase at 104 degree Fahrenheit, and the patient continues to experience bradycardia. The patient also experiences delirium, owing to which the fever is sometimes referred to as nervous fever. In some patients, red spots start appearing on the chest and abdomen. The person may also experience diarrhea and enlarged spleen and liver. In first and the second week, the rise in body temperature is mostly experienced in the afternoon and continues to persist throughout the night.

Third Week
The third week of suffering from typhoid fever is marked by a series of complications which may turn out to be fatal if treatment is not initiated. These complications include intestinal hemorrhage, encephalitis, intestinal perforation, metastatic abscesses etc. The fever still persists, but unlike the first two stages, this time it is uninterrupted. After the third week, improvements do start occurring but the third week in itself is full of life-threatening complications and hence is best avoided.

Typhoid Fever

As soon as the ailment is diagnosed, treatment can be initiated in the form of antibiotics and supportive care. Antibiotic treatment can ensure that there is significant improvement in the patients health within a day or two. As treatment continues, the person recovers entirely within ten days. Supportive treatment includes administering fluids to prevent dehydration and eating a healthy diet to replenish the lost nutrients. There are chances of relapse which can be serious enough, and hence the person has to undergo a proper diagnosis process all over again as soon as its symptoms start resurfacing.

Early treatment for typhoid is important considering that the symptoms of this ailment are known to worsen with time. The best measure, however, is typhoid fever prevention. Some simple precautions in case of personal hygiene and sanitation can ensure that the disease is always kept out-of-bounds.