Toxic Shock Syndrome

Question: must you have a fever to have toxic shock syndrome? I have nausea, dizziness, and a rash that looks like sunburn, but no fever. Could this be toxic shock syndrome without fever?

Answer: It sure can. See your doctor.

Question: will there be desquamation in all patients with toxic shock syndrome? what are the chances for a person to not to have desquamation although he has/had toxic shock syndrome?

Answer: toxic shock syndrome usually applies to females who forget to remove their tampon when they have their period

Question: Would a doctor be able to tell by blood tests if I had Toxic Shock Syndrome? What if the doctor is not suspecting Toxic Shock Syndrome? Would he or she still be able to tell by your blood if you have it or not? Thanks in advance.

Answer: TSS isn't caused directly by a bacteria- it's caused by a toxin made by a bacteria. So a test looking for bacteria would turn up negative since so few bacteria are required to make enough toxin to make you sick. It is possible to test for the presence of the toxin, but I don't know how often that's actually done b/c they probably know it's TSS if you have the right clinical presentation (signs and symptoms)

Question: what are the symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (tss) and what can it do to you? I've never really understood what toxic shock syndrome is, like how it affects you and how you know you have it.

Answer: Here is a link to information on TSS from yahoo health. It can make you very sick, http://health.yahoo.com/topic/infectious…

Question: how does toxic shock syndrome start? i left a tampon in all night for like 10 hours! ive felt nausea and very faint, contant headache! how do u know if its toxic shock syndrome? does it come on all of a sudden? how long does it take to get real bad and what happens?

Answer: The symptoms of TSS include sudden high fever, a faint feeling, watery diarrhea, headache, and muscle aches. If your child has these symptoms, call your doctor right away.

Question: toxic shock syndrome symptoms and could i have it? I have an IUD and last week my period has been heavier then ussual which seems to be normal with IUD's and before starting my period I was waking up with headaches, runny nose, and sore throats that varied in intensity but only one day it was very severe. Now I just wake up with minor sore throats and headaches and not sure if it's a normal thing with periods or could it be toxic shock syndrome I don't have a fever and don't feel really sick, just maybe what is probably normal for your period and all that.

Answer: General symptoms of toxic shock syndrome include: Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and pains, stomach cramps, a headache, or a sore throat. The flu-like symptoms of TSS are common to many illnesses, but they develop much more quickly and are more severe than symptoms caused by a less serious illness. Sudden fever over 102° (38.9°). Vomiting and diarrhea. A rash that looks like a sunburn. Signs of shock, including low blood pressure and rapid heartbeat, often with lightheadedness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, or restlessness and confusion. Conjunctivitis (pinkeye). Pain at the site of an infection (if a wound or injury to the skin is involved). Involvement of more than one organ system, most commonly the lungs and kidneys. Blood infection (sepsis) that affects the entire body. Skin tissue death (necrosis), which occurs early in the syndrome. Skin tissue shedding (desquamation), which occurs during recovery. Strep nonmenstrual TSS. Symptoms typically develop: In women who have recently given birth, from 2 or 3 days up to several weeks after delivery. In people who have infected surgical wounds, from 2 days to 1 week after surgery. In people with respiratory infections, from 2 to 6 weeks after respiratory symptoms begin. Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a multisystem disease manifested by SUDDEN ONSET of FEVER, chills, hypotension, and rash. Multisystem involvement may cause vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, mucous membrane hyperemia, mental confusion, renal dysfunction, hepatic abnormalities, and thrombocytopenia No, I don't think you have TSS. as you don't have the signs of Shock. It's probably just the flu or colds. Rest and fluids are all that's needed.

Question: Which of the following will not put a woman at risk for toxic shock syndrome? Which of the following will not put a woman at risk for toxic shock syndrome? A. Having multiple sexual partners B. Wearing a super-absorbent tampon C. Using a diaphragm, cervical cap, or sponge during her period D. Leaving a tampon in the vagina for more than a few hours

Answer: As a guy, I'm hoping that the answer is 'A'.

Question: What exactly is toxic shock syndrome? How can tampons cause tss? While my period, ive alwaysed used tampons, but ive never really understood what toxic shock syndrome is, ive usually been to embaressed to ask. And how can tampons cause TSS? thank you for your help, and thanks to everyone answering my previous question, you really helped!:)

Answer: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a serious but uncommon bacterial infection. TSS was originally linked to the use of tampons, but it is now also known to be associated with the contraceptive sponge and diaphragm birth control methods. In rare cases, TSS has resulted from wounds or surgery incisions where bacteria have been able to enter the body and cause the infection.

Question: Are there any long term effects from Toxic Shock Syndrome? My daughter had strep infection, she was released from hershey med center May 6th. Because of the strep she also had developed Toxic Shock Syndrome. She still has a lot of swelling fromt he waist down and after numerous tests the doctors still don't know what is causing this. Are there any long term effects from either strep infection which she had in her skin, muscles, blood stream and joints, or are there long term effects from the Toxic Shock Syndrome?

Answer: Typically, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), as what may have been discussed by your physician to you, is a disease caused by the production of a toxin called Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1; in essence, such a disease is toxin-mediated, and it works, to make the long story short, by "hay-wiring" your immune system such as your T-cells and MHC to produce cytokines pre-maturely, causing the severe somatic swelling and redness and inflammation to the affected patient. From what I know of TSS, two organisms have the capacity to promote this scenario: one of them is Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. If I'm not mistaken, the latter has the authentic toxin, while the former "mimics" only mimics the latter for the most part (both can be severe if untreated, nonetheless). One thing is for sure: there NEED NOT be any residual nor present infection for the toxin to proceed its route of pathogenesis. Meaning, the toxin itself is enough to produce its intended effects to the patient. If there is still an infection, it's also possible for the remainder of the bacterial population to produce more of the said toxin, among others. In your case, it can be assumed that your daughter had, or probably has, Streptococcus pyogenes infection, probably in the form of pharyngitis (the usual "strep throat") or some other form of manifestation. I also assume that, thus far, your physician has already started therapy for your daughter to alleviate the effects of the TSS on her system. Now, IF the infection of your daughter HAS BEEN CLEARED from antibiotic therapy, then what is being elicited by your daughter is the effect of the toxin ALONE. Perhaps what might have happened is that the toxin produced during the course of the infection was more potent or perhaps more in number so as to produce a systemic and large effect. Another possibility, which has a low percentage of occuring, is for a re-infection to occur with S. aureus taking the place of S. pyogenes (as S. aureus can produce the said toxin and exhibit TSS as well). In that case, bacteriological tests can be made to determine whether is has been re-infected or not depending on whether any strain is susceptible or resistant to the antibiotics given to her during her Strep infection. Oropharyngeal and pharyngeal strep infection (like pharyngitis or strep throat) do not necessarily have long term effects on a previously infected person. However, in cases where bacteremia (the bacterium is present in the blood and the circulation) persists, two sequelae can occur: rheumatic fever and/or glomerulonephritis. Such two sequelae occurs at most AFTER the infection, with the former elicitng somewhat like an auto-immune disease where your immune system "attacks" some proteins in your heart and the latter causing inflammation to the kidneys due to the deposition of immune complexes (composed mainly of blood clots, dead cells, and dead bacteria that clumped and clogged the nephron of kidneys). Perhaps the ones that have long term effects are those involving strep infection at the site of tissues and/or muscles, such as necrotizing fasciitis and cellulitis. Here, the bacterium literally "eats" the tissues and muscles, promoting tissue necrosis (death)--this is why some people call this bacterium the "flesh-eating disease", which, in some degree, a misnomer. In any case, so long as your daughter is cleared of any infection, TSS can be managed and cured in time; if there is residual infection left, then antibiotic therapy is needed to clear them off. At the same time, chemotherapy (not for cancer) can be given to your daughter to lessen the effect of the TSS toxin in her system. I hope this helps in some way, and I pray for the safe recovery of your daughter. Please do update this for any new news regarding your daughter.

Question: What are the symptoms of toxic shock syndrome? Im on my period, but im very careful about the length of time i keep my tampons in. I became very sick after starting I have a bad fever. But I also think i might just be sick from my boyfriend. My symptoms are : fever, cough, aches and pains, nausia, and headache. Is this toxic shock? or just the stupid flu my boyfriend gave me?

Answer: follow this link for info... also check out the column on the left side of the link, the text will be in blue font, for additional information..... hope this helps