Tetanus is a preventable disease and fortunately it is now rare. The reason it occurs so infrequently is because most of us have been immunised against it.
However, it remains an extremely severe disease and despite intensive modern treatment over a third of cases still die.
Tetanus is caused by a rod-like germ, Clostridium tetani, which grows best in low concentrations of oxygen.
This is why it is particularly likely to develop in damaged tissue, such as following a crushing injury or a burn.
The germ is widespread in nature.
It lives commonly in the gut of many animals especially the grass eating ones.
It does no harm to the animal but it passes out with the animal droppings and contaminates the soil.
The tetanus germ gains entry into our body usually when the skin is broken by a wound and is contaminated by soil.
The disease has an incubation period of around 15 days.
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Like a sauna, they may cause a marked loss of fluid which is reflected in the scales. But this weight loss is temporary and, as the fluid is replaced by drinking, so the weight returns to its previous level.
It may be satisfactory for a jockey to spend the morning in a sweat box so he can ride at a certain weight that afternoon, but it is of little value to the obese man or woman to sweat off a kilo or two and then believe they are losing weight.
Unfortunately, the diuretic usually not only washes sodium from the body but potassium as well.
In most cases, little is lost and there is no bodily disturbance. In a few cases, so much potassium is lost that it causes symptoms of tiredness, lack of interest and some cramps that may herald that all is not well. Very low blood levels may lead to problems with the heart rhythm, particularly if the drug digitalis is also being taken.
Potassium is widely found in a number of foods, particularly citrus fruits, tomatoes and bananas, which are often recommended for those on diuretics.
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