10 Diphtheria Symptoms
Reviewed: Dr. Mera
Symptom #5: Difficulty Breathing and Swallowing
Difficulty breathing is also known as dyspnea or shortness of breath. It occurs when a person feels a tightness in the chest and must make an increased effort to breathe normally.
In diphtheria, the toxin produced by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacterium can create a membrane or a thick, whitish-gray, fuzzy coating in the airway, throat, or nose, which makes it difficult to breathe and swallow.
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