12+ Signs Of Sepsis To Look Out For
By Rio Dennis
1 year ago
1. Difficulty taking a breath
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Sepsis (also known as: Septicaemia or blood poisoning) occurs when your body fights an infection too harshly, and begins to attack your healthy blood cells. It is imperative to learn the signs of sepsis, as time is of the essence, when attempting to treat it. One of the most obvious signs, is difficulty breathing.2. Black, green or bloody vomit
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Another tell-tale sign of sepsis, is black, bloody and/or green vomit. This vomiting may change in color and severity, or it can remain consistent. It is important to monitor the regularity, color and severity of the vomit, and get in touch with a medical professional immediately.3. Sunken eyes
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Sunken eyes are the next sign of sepsis. Whether you, or someone else, has slightly or severely sunken eyes; it is advised that you monitor the overall condition and contact a doctor, if it does indeed worsen. This symptom often appears early-on, and can develop quickly.4. Irritability
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Irritability can be caused by a variety of factors. However, it can also be a sign of sepsis. This form of irritability, will often be quite sudden, and severe (seemingly with no rational cause). It can cause a person to react quite aggressively, and behave in an (overall) hostile manner.5. Abnormally cold to the touch
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The next indicator of sepsis, is someone feeling abnormally cold-to-the-touch. Whether it is just a particular part of the body e.g. the hands and/or feet, or the entire body being effected; the individual's condition should be monitored very closely.6. Stiffness in the neck
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The next sign, is stiffness in the neck. As with many of the other symptoms , it is crucial to monitor. It may be a sudden side-effect, or it can build up gradually, and worsen. This symptom mainly affects, but is not exclusive to, the elderly population.7. Lethargic
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Feeling lethargic can be caused by a wide variety of factors, and is also another (potential) indicator of sepsis. If it is an indicator of sepsis, it will come on suddenly, intensely, and without real cause. This symptom mainly affects babies and young children.8. Unresponsive
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Perhaps one of the most severe and serious signs of sepsis is, someone becoming unresponsive. If, and when this occurs, you need to monitor the person's breathing, place them into the recovery position and contact the emergency services. If the person's condition worsens, you may have to administer CPR.9. Rash that does not fade
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Changes to a person's skin, are often vital tell-tale signs of sepsis. One of these includes: a rash that does not fade, after it's been pressed. This type of rash, may appear on any part of the body, and can vary in size and irritability. This symptom mainly affects babies, young children and the elderly.10. Fitting or convulsion
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This next symptom is quite intense, and often indicates the immediate need for medial intervention. This symptom is: fitting and/or convulsing. It may follow some other symptoms e.g. vomiting and becoming unresponsive, so it is imperative that you work quickly, and contact emergency services.11. Chills and shivering
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Chills and shivering are another (potential) symptom of sepsis. Chills and shivering will often accompany another symptom e.g. vomiting, feeling cold-to-the-touch and/or convulsing. This symptom, largely affects babies, young children and the elderly.12. High fever
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A person's temperature can be a vital indicator of sepsis, especially if they have an abnormally high fever! This is one of the most important symptoms to monitor, as it is highly unpredictable, and can change in an instant. An abnormally high fever, often affects babies the most.13. Feeling dizzy and faint
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This next symptom will often occur, as a result of other symptoms on this list. Sudden dizziness, paired with feeling faint, can be a common side-effect of sepsis. It can be caused by other symptoms, but can also lead to, some of the more intense symptoms e.g. becoming unresponsive and fitting.14. Change in mental state
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One of the less common indicators of sepsis, is a change in someone's mental state. This particular change, is in reference to the individual's moods/emotions and rational thinking. This symptom will also vary from person-to-person. So, some people may become disorientated and/or upset, and others may become irrationally angry/hostile.15. Diarrhoea
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The next symptom is: suffering from (usually sudden) diarrhoea. As your body is attacking itself, it will try all possible methods of flushing any 'toxins' out of your body. Weather that's via: sweat, urine, vomit and/or diarrhoea. This symptom affects everyone, especially babies and the elderly.16. Nausea
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Nausea is one of the most common symptoms of illness, whether it is a common stomach bug, or (in extreme cases) sepsis. Nausea will often be the first symptom to rear its head, as your body is attacking both infectious, and healthy cells. Monitoring nausea is very important, and you have to be prepared, in case the situation worsens.17. Slurred speech
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Slurred speech is a textbook sign of sepsis, and will often occur, when someone's condition is deteriorating rapidly. Slurred speech can often lead to an individual becoming (completely) unresponsive, so you must react quickly and accordingly, by contacting the emergency services.18. Severe muscle pain
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As the body is attacking itself, someone is more than likely, going to experience some and/or multiple types of pain. One common form, associated with sepsis, is intense muscle pain. This pain could be all over the individual's body, or in one (set) area. It can be compared, to the pain associated with muscle cramps.19. Less urine production
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Another bodily function that may be affected, is your urination (urine production in general). You may experience a decline, or complete lack of, urine production. This symptom is particularly important to monitor, as it can develop/worsen quickly. It is advised to remain suitably hydrated, without running the risk, of over-hydration.20. Cold, clammy, pale or mottled skin
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As mentioned previously, a change in a person's skin, is a common indicator of sepsis. This includes, skin that is cold, clammy, pale and/or mottled. This will often occur with babies and young children, so it is important to monitor any changes to their condition. For example, mottled skin will usually appear on their stomach, arms and/or legs.21. Loss of consciousness
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A loss of consciousness, is a serious sign of sepsis. It may happen periodically, or it may be instant (which will develop into an unresponsive state). If a person looks as if they're going to lose consciousness, it is important to sit them down, proceed to grab them a glass of water, and attempt to keep them conscious.22. High heart rate
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An increased, or abnormally high, heart-rate is another textbook sign of sepsis. The body is attempting to regulate multiple functions at once, so it's no surprise, that your heart-rate may spike (considerably). It is vital, that you are under the supervision of medical professionals, if this does occur.23. Feeling like you're going to die
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The sensation of feeling as if you're going to die, is a major sign of sepsis, and should not be ignored! This sensation is often caused by a culmination of factors; including (more commonly) anxiety-induced panic attacks. Within the context of sepsis, it will appear after a person has experienced a varying multitude, of the symptoms on this list.24. Loss of appetite
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A slow or sudden loss of appetite can be caused by sepsis. It will often be the result of feeling nauseous, vomiting and/or experiencing diarrhoea. It is one of the less common symptoms, but if it persists for several days, you should seek immediate medical assistance.25. Feeling light-headed
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Similarly to experiencing dizziness and/or faintness, becoming light-headed can also signify the presence of sepsis. It is also one of the least severe side-effects, but it should not be ignored. If the sensation persists, and worsens, you should seek immediate medical help.26. Not being able to stand
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This next symptom may be the subsequent result, of several other symptoms on this list. A difficulty, or complete inability, to stand is another key sign of sepsis. This lack of mobility/overall movement, often signifies the extreme deterioration in an individual's condition.27. Weak and quiet crying
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The next symptom is specific to babies (and in some cases) toddlers. Weak and/or quiet crying, is your baby's way of alerting you to problems/pain they're unable to articulate. If you suspect that they may be showing one (or multiple) signs of sepsis, seek emergency medical assistance immediately!28. A swollen and painful cut
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If you have recently sustained a small injury, usually in the form of a cut/graze, you may experience this next symptom. If you are experiencing unusual pain, connected to your injury, it's possibly sepsis. The condition will affect your body's immunity and healing process, as it attacks the blood cells responsible for healing injuries, and general infections.29. Increased sensitivity to light
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An increased sensitivity to light, is another possible symptom of sepsis. Similarly to other symptoms on this list, it may be gradual, periodic or sudden. If this sensitivity is causing you pain, and/or persist for more than a day, seek medical attention as soon as possible.30. Increased anxiety and confusion
