10 Lockjaw Symptoms
Lockjaw is a condition characterized by difficulty opening the mouth normally due to spasms of the facial muscles that are used for chewing. Normally, a person is able to open the mouth somewhere between 40 to 60 mm, while in lockjaw cases opening the mouth more than 35 mm is very difficult or impossible. Many people think that lockjaw is tetanus, but actually, it is only a misnomer for tetanus. Lockjaw is just one of the tetanus symptoms.
What is tetanus? Tetanus is a bacterial infection, which affects the nervous system. It is caused by the Clostridium Tetani bacteria. This bacterium enters the human body through deep puncture wounds or cuts. The symptoms usually begin about one week after the infection, but the onset ranges anywhere between three days to three weeks. Luckily, tetanus is rare today because of vaccination. Most people are vaccinated against tetanus as children in the form of a combined vaccine which is called DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis). Booster vaccines are also recommended for adolescents and adults, providing protection against these three infectious diseases.
Symptom #1: Headache
A headache is another symptom that those infected with Clostridium Tetani often experience. The first signs and symptoms tend to appear within the first week after the infection, even though as mentioned, they can start to develop anywhere between three days and up to three weeks. As a headache is a common symptom associated with many other conditions, and as many of us tend to have headaches every now and then, we usually don’t pay much attention to them.
However, if your headache is getting worse, if it is not relieved with the help of medications that you usually take, if you think that it is not related to any other condition, or if it is associated with other signs and symptoms, which can be related to tetanus, then you should contact a healthcare professional immediately. This is especially important in cases when you recently had an injury and have now started experiencing headache and other possible symptoms.
Symptom #2: Lockjaw
One of the hallmark symptoms of tetanus is lockjaw, or trismus. It is characterized by difficulties opening the mouth, usually not more than 35 mm, caused by muscle spasms and stiffness of the head, neck, and throat area. Due to uncontrolled muscle spasms, the jaw may open and close without warning, or it may become stiff and numb.
After the chewing muscles are affected, usually the spasms and stiffness of the muscles spread to the nearby muscles of the neck and throat causing difficulties in opening the mouth, swallowing difficulties and speaking difficulties. The facial muscles are also commonly affected. If the chest muscles are affected then breathing difficulties will develop, often leading to death.
Symptom #3: Irritability and Restlessness
Common symptoms noticed in those affected with tetanus are irritability, restlessness, and a general anxiety. These symptoms are all understandable as the body is overwhelmed with the bacterial infection and the toxins affecting the nervous system. Problems communicating with others are also quite common as well as the inability to stay still or to follow given instructions.
Tetanus also affects the psychological state of the person as it interferes with the nerve transmission between the nervous system and the muscles all over the body. A loss of appetite is also quite common.
Symptom #4: Difficulty Swallowing
Difficulty swallowing is a common symptom of those affected by tetanus that occurs because of reduced muscle control. Tetanus, due to toxins that affect the nervous system, blocks the signals between the nervous system and the muscles, leading to muscle spasms and stiffness.
The chewing muscles are the first to be affected, but it also spreads to other muscles nearby, in the neck and throat. As the infection progresses, every muscle in the human body can get affected. For this reason, it is very important to recognize the symptoms of tetanus on time and to get immediate medical help because if the infection continues, breathing muscles can get affected, leading to death.
Symptom #5: Painful Muscle Spasms
Tetanus is a bacterial infection caused by Clostridium Tetani. Once this bacterium enters the human body it produces a toxin that affects the nervous system. Tetanus prevents the muscles all over the body from receiving signals from the spinal cord, causing painful muscle spasms. These spasms can last for several minutes and they are usually triggered by minor occurrences like loud noise, light, or physical touch, among others.
As the condition progresses, the spasms become more frequent and intense, affecting more and more muscles, eventually leading to death. Tetanus is a medical emergency so being aware of tetanus symptoms is very important to recognize this disease in time.
Symptom #6: Facial Spasms
Facial spasms are another common symptom of tetanus, which develops when the facial muscles are affected. Risus sardonicus is a characteristic symptom in this case, which is characterized by a rigid grin of the face due to these facial muscle spasms. Facial expressions appear unnatural, so they are easily noticed by the affected person, but especially from people around the person.
Facial spasms tend to become noticeable in the early stages of this condition, so if you notice something strange happening with your face you should get medical help. Tetanus might be causing it. One thing you should keep in mind is that as the infection progresses, other muscles in the body will be affected, which means that the condition and symptoms are likely to get worse quickly if you don’t get medical attention in time.
Symptom #7: Hardening of the Abdominal Muscles
Hardening of the abdominal muscles is a symptom which tends to occur in the later stages of the disease, when the infection has spread to most of the body and when the toxin has spread to the entire nervous system.
Usually, muscle spasms and stiffness start on the chewing muscles, spreading gradually within a couple of hours or days toward the facial muscles, jaw and neck muscles, chest muscles, abdomen, back, and extremities.
Symptom #8: Fever
Tetanus is a serious and life-threatening condition which should be recognized quickly. Once it is diagnosed and the treatment starts it will take weeks and usually even months to fully recover, making it a long-term condition which requires a lot of treatment.
Fever is another common symptom of tetanus, which is usually mild and occurs after the infection. Chills are also possible, as well as other signs and symptoms associated with fever such as sweating, increased heart rate, a general ill feeling, and increased blood pressure, among others. The severity of the signs and symptoms, including the severity of fever will greatly depend on the location of the wound.
Symptom #9: Difficulty Breathing
Another symptom of tetanus is difficulty breathing. If the condition progresses from chewing muscles to neck and throat muscles and then to the chest, the breathing muscles will be affected, leading to severe breathing problems and even death. Due to the muscle spasms that can’t be controlled, the patient is unable to control their own breathing.
Difficulties breathing should be recognized quickly as they are a medical emergency that requires immediate attention and treatment. Ventilation machines are often necessary to keep the patient alive.
Symptom #10: Opisthotonos
Opisthotonos, or as it is commonly known as the “bending of the neck”, is a characteristic and pathognomonic symptom of this bacterial infection. Muscle spasms affecting the neck and back will lead to an involuntary bending of the back backward in a bridging position. Sometimes, the muscle spasms are so severe that compression fractures could occur in the spine.
Prognosis in cases when opisthotonus develops is not good. Adequate prevention of tetanus through vaccination is fundamental, but early diagnosis and treatment when tetanus is suspected is also very important. The earlier the symptoms appear after the infection, the more severe they tend to be.
