Detect symptoms of typhus from mild to severe

Typhus or typhoid fever is a common disease in Indonesia, and can be experienced by adults to children. This disease should not be underestimated. If not treated properly, typhus symptoms can be fatal. Therefore, recognize the characteristics of mild to severe typhus.

When do typhus symptoms appear?

Typhus is transmitted through when the bacteria that cause typhus, Salmonella typhi, spreads from dirty food or drinking water you consume. However, typhus symptoms generally will not appear immediately after you eat or drink something that has been contaminated with bacteria Salmonella typhi .

Typhoid symptoms will appear after the bacterial incubation period is over. The incubation period is the time from the time bacteria enter the body (through food or drink) until the first symptoms appear.

Usually symptoms start to appear within 7-14 days of exposure to the bacteria. At the latest, the symptoms will not be felt within 30 days. However, if your immune system is weak, symptoms can appear as early as 3 days.

Typhoid symptoms are often considered a disease. In fact, it is a collection of conditions that indicate you are infected with bacteria Salmonella typhi.

The term "typhus symptom disease" which is popular in Indonesian society refers to a disease with a set of symptoms that are similar to or similar to the symptoms of typhus. However, the condition may be caused by germs other than Salmonella typhi.

What are the symptoms of typhus?

Typhus in adults can last three to four weeks, or maybe longer. Likewise the symptoms of typhus in children.

The intensity of symptoms can also vary. There are many who feel mild symptoms, there are also those who only feel a little but feel heavy.

Meanwhile, about 1 in 300 people infected with bacteria that cause typhus do not experience any symptoms but can still pass it on to other people.

1. Fever

The most common symptom of typhus in adults is fever. Fever is actually the result of an inflammatory process in the body that is triggered by the immune system working to fight bacterial infections Salmonella typhi.

The fever from typhus tends to increase slowly in the first week you get typhus, and can usually reach 39 to 40º Celsius. However, a fever that is a symptom of typhus often feels worse at night.

In adults, the symptoms of fever due to typhus are sometimes accompanied by headaches. Just like fever, headaches are a manifestation of the inflammatory process triggered by the work of the immune system.

2. Sweating

The appearance of sweating is still associated with the symptoms of fever during typhus. When you have a fever, your body temperature will rise until you feel hot.

To remove heat from within, the brain will immediately order the sweat glands to secrete fluid through the pores as a way to return your body to its normal temperature.

3. The body feels weak

When you get typhus, your body feels weak and has no energy. This is common because the symptoms of typhus in the form of diarrhea make the body continue to waste a lot of reserves of fluids and electrolytes through feces and sweat.

In fact, electrolyte fluids function to help muscles work and contract properly. So do not be surprised if your body will feel weaker, sluggish, and less powerful when you have typhus.

4. Indigestion

Typhus is an infectious disease that attacks digestion, especially the intestines. Then. It's no wonder that one of the most common symptoms is indigestion, be it diarrhea or constipation.

Diarrhea is more often a symptom of typhus in children, whereas constipation is more common in adults.

The intestine that is infected with bacteria cannot digest food properly which interferes with the absorption of water. As a result, the intestines will take more fluids from the body to be able to process food so that the stool that comes out will be a liquid texture.

Meanwhile, symptoms of constipation in adults with typhus are caused by a bacterial infection that blocks bowel movements.

5. Stomach ache

Symptoms of typhus that attacks the stomach also have something to do with diarrhea. Stomach pain due to typhus is often accompanied by symptoms of diarrhea.

The stomach will feel sore as long as the infection is still attacking the digestive system. The problematic digestive system will then ask the brain for help to trigger the intestinal muscles to contract so that the stool is immediately excreted. During this process, your stomach will feel cramps and heartburn.

You will generally feel stomach pain and diarrhea within 8 to 72 hours of being exposed to the bacteria Salmonella .

6. Loss of appetite

Decreased appetite is also a manifestation of an inflammatory response in the body. The immune system will stimulate the brain to release a chemical called leptin which works to reduce appetite.

This decreased appetite also acts to prevent more bacteria from entering through food. When you eat less, it means you are giving less food to the bacteria in your body. In the end, the starving bacteria will die faster.

Symptoms of decreased appetite generally appear to indicate that the body is recovering from typhus. Typhoid symptoms usually occur only briefly in adults.

7. Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are symptoms of typhus in adults as a form of inflammation in the digestive system.

When the bacteria that cause typhus infect the walls of the stomach and intestines, the immune system will respond to the attack by sending signals to the brain to cause nausea.

The brain will then trigger the digestive organs to produce more fluid which makes the stomach feel uncomfortable. As a result, you feel nauseous and can vomit.

In other words, nausea and vomiting are the body's natural reactions to flushing out toxins and bacteria from the digestive system.

Typhus symptoms are severe and include an emergency department

After a few days, you may feel the typhus symptoms begin to fade away. However, be careful. Bacteria Salmonella typhi it could still be lodged in your body if the treatment is incomplete or ineffective.

Typhus begins with mild symptoms. However, although it is rare, typhus can be fatal if it is already severe and is not treated quickly.

Launching the NHS, symptoms of complications from severe and serious typhus can include:

• Internal bleeding. When the symptoms of typhus are severe and more serious, the infection can cause the intestine to bleed so that it has a hole. In the medical world, this condition is known as intestinal perforation.
• Respiratory disorders. Bacteria that cause typhus can also trigger respiratory infections in the form of pneumonia if not treated immediately.
• Impaired heart function. Typhus that is not treated promptly can also cause myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), endocarditis (inflammation of the heart wall), to acute heart failure.

Recurrence of typhus

Some people who have received treatment may experience typhus again. Recurrent typhus occurs when the symptoms return to you.

In these cases, typhus symptoms usually return about a week after the antibiotic treatment is finished. However, relapsing typhus symptoms are usually lighter and last a short time.

The doctor will give you antibiotics to treat recurrent typhus.

When to see a doctor

If you experience one or more of the symptoms, which include:

• Headaches that don't go away
• Fever for 1-3 days and also does not subside after taking febrifuge.
• Abdominal pain or cramps that are severe
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days

You must consult a doctor to get the right diagnosis and treatment of typhus.

This also applies if you have previously had the typhoid fever vaccine. Vaccination does not necessarily guarantee complete protection from disease, especially if you do not avoid the causes of typhus.

How do doctors diagnose typhus symptoms?

Doctors generally will perform a number of physical examinations to diagnose the characteristics of typhus that you feel.

The doctor will also ask a number of things related to your recent activities, such as whether you have recently traveled to a typhus-prone area or whether you have had typhus before and when it happened.

To further confirm the diagnosis of typhus symptoms, the doctor will perform the following tests:

• Blood sample tests, generally done with the Widal test or Tubex test
• Stool sample test
• Urine sample test

These samples from your body will then be examined under a microscope to look for the presence of bacteria that cause typhus.

However, usually typhus bacteria cannot always be detected immediately with just one type of test. time. So you may need to complete the entire set of tests above so that your doctor can provide a more accurate diagnosis.

If you test positive for typhus, your doctor may also advise other family members to do a similar test to rule out the spread of the infection. Then the doctor can determine a treatment plan and treatment that is right for your condition.