Many of us are guilty of the annoying habit of onychophagia, or biting our nails. According to specialists, this behavioral disorder would...
Many of us are guilty of the annoying habit of onychophagia, or biting our nails. According to specialists, this behavioral disorder would even affect up to a third of French people. While it may seem innocuous to some, it could also result in painful consequences. That's what happened to this 28-year-old British father who, after indulging in his OCD, contracted sepsis and came close to death.
After snatching a piece of skin off the edge of the nail while doing what he calls "nerve trick," Luke Hanoman saw his finger swell more and more until it hurt him insupportable. This swelling was accompanied by symptoms resembling those of the flu and which intensified. Luke felt cold sweat, tremors, hot flashes and a mental confusion that made him unable to concentrate.
It is the mother of the young man who, alerted by the symptoms of his son, decided to take him to the hospital.
Luke was taken care of in the emergency room and stayed in the hospital for four days, where he received antibiotic treatment and the doctors felt he had not been far from septic shock and was lucky to get out.
One year after his recovery, Luke Hanoman wants to raise public awareness of the symptoms of sepsis so that people can detect and receive the proper care as soon as possible to increase the chances of survival and thus prevent a maximum of deaths: "I had no idea what sepsis was and no idea of what to look for. I think it's important for people to know that it can affect anyone, at any age. "
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a serious bacterial infection that causes widespread inflammation in the body and nearly one in four patients in France die from complications.
When the infection takes place, bacteria are found in the bloodstream and when their numbers are too large, the body becomes unable to eliminate them all and the toxins they secrete are released into the blood, causing septic shock.
Bacterial infection leading to sepsis can occur in the most mundane ways, such as brushing your teeth or getting injured. The wound can become infected and bacteria grow until they are released into the blood.
If all bacteria can cause sepsis, people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing sepsis. Thus, one must be particularly vigilant with regard to these people like:
- Women who have just given birth
- The newborns
- Old people
- Immunodeficient people
- Persons undergoing medical treatments affecting immunity
- Hospitalized people
Symptoms of sepsis that need attention
The most common symptoms of sepsis that require attention are:
- High fever or, conversely, a drop in body temperature
- Important fatigue
- Acceleration of heart rate and breathing
- Chills, tremors
- abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea
- Mental confusion
When septicemia progresses to septic shock, these symptoms are accompanied by a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in blood supply to the organs, leading to a decrease in their functioning and a cooling of the skin, which then takes a marbled and cyanotic appearance, in other words blue, especially at the extremities.
If you have any signs of infection, it is recommended that you urgently consult a health specialist, especially since some affected organs in many cases have irreversible sequelae.
