A persistently high fever, dizziness, lightheadedness, a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, confusion, and digestive problems are potential signs of sepsis and should be treated as a medical emergency.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have sepsis, and you need to go to the emergency room or call 911 right away: Severe pain. A high fever. Shivering or feeling cold.
Symptoms of a Tooth Infection Spreading to the Body
Here are the signs of a tooth infection spreading to the rest of your body: Feeling generally sick. Extreme sensitivity to cold or hot food and drink. Severe toothache from the tooth outward.
Sepsis following a bacterial infection from a dental condition or treatment is rare. However, it can be a life-threatening condition if patients are not managed appropriately.
Not all infections trigger sepsis, but sepsis is always triggered by an infection and this infection can be anywhere, including in the mouth. An untreated dental infection can cause sepsis. Bacteria can also enter the body through the gumline or any breaks in the gum, cheeks, even palate.
Feeling Sick All Over the Body
Some of the biggest signs that a tooth infection is spreading to the body include frequent headaches, feverishness, dizziness, and face swelling. It may get to the point where you are having difficulty opening or using your mouth because of the swelling.
If the infection has spread or you have a generalized infection, you may develop other signs and symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, pain, etc. Sometimes however, you may have an infection and not know it, and not have any symptoms.
Penicillin-type antibiotics are also used to treat blood infections (sepsis), meningitis, endocarditis, and other serious infections. Brand names of amoxicillin include Moxatag and Amoxil.
Because toothaches are caused by infection, one that is not treated can eventually lead to sepsis. The infection bacteria which lives in the tooth may travel through the bloodstream, and when the bacteria count is high enough, the body will quickly respond — possibly leading to septic shock or death.
Dental Treatment in the Emergency Room
In the case of bacterial infections, they can provide antibiotics and will arrange for transfer to the hospital if necessary. They can also treat broken, dislodged, or fractured teeth and help to control severe pain.
Blood tests may reveal the following signs suggestive of sepsis: Elevated or low white blood cells – Higher than usual levels of leukocytes, known as white blood cells (WBCs), are a sign of a current infection, while too few WBCs indicate that a person is at higher risk of developing one.
If you have a severe tooth infection, your dentist may prescribe a course of antibiotics to prevent it from spreading. 1 Antibiotics may prevent tooth loss and other serious health complications.
Sepsis can be divided into three stages: sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock.
If the infection spreads, you may also develop a high temperature (fever) and feel generally unwell. In severe cases, you may find it hard to fully open your mouth and have difficulty swallowing or breathing.
However, there might be other symptoms related to sepsis based on where the infection is. Abdominal pain is one such symptom.
As sepsis worsens or septic shock develops, an early sign, particularly in older people or the very young, may be confusion or decreased alertness. Blood pressure decreases, yet the skin is paradoxically warm. Later, extremities become cool and pale, with peripheral cyanosis and mottling.
Signs of sepsis are: • Pale, blotchy or blue skin, lips or tongue. Blotchy skin is when parts of your skin are a different colour than normal. Sometimes it is hard to know if you or somebody you look after has sepsis, or if it is something else, like flu or a chest infection.
To begin with, a tooth abscess does not go or die down on its own, and professional intervention is crucial to treat a dental abscess. In case a person does not treat a dental abscess in its initial stage, then the infection may last anywhere between 5 months to 12 months or even more.
Antibiotics alone won't treat sepsis; you also need fluids. The body needs extra fluids to help keep the blood pressure from dropping dangerously low, causing shock.
The red flag symptoms of sepsis are: New onset of confusion or altered mental state. High temperature. Fast heartrate.
High heart rate or weak pulse. Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold. Confusion or disorientation. Shortness of breath.
Blood tests. Complete blood count (CBC): A CBC is a common blood test. It measures how many white blood cells are circulating in your blood, among other things. White blood cells (also called leukocytes) fight bacteria, viruses, and other organisms your body identifies as a danger.