Sepsis is a serious illness brought on by the impaired immune response of one’s body to fight infections. According to a recent study, children under the age of five account for nearly half of all sepsis cases across the globe, with an estimated 20 million illnesses and 2.9 million deaths. While mild sepsis can be treated, severe sepsis marks a death rate of roughly 40%. Find out its types, symptoms, and treatment options below.

What is sepsis?
When one’s body reacts to an infection by damaging its tissues, it develops sepsis, a condition that poses a serious risk to life. White blood cells fight off infections and prevent them from affecting other parts of the body. This naturally causes mild inflammation in the affected area. But in the case of sepsis, one’s immune system is heavily compromised. It results in extensive inflammation throughout the body and creates a chain of harmful events. It impairs blood flow to vital organs, such as your brain, heart, and kidneys, and results in blood clotting or bursting blood vessels.

If left untreated, sepsis may quickly lead to severe sepsis or septic shock. It is characterized by a drastic drop in one’s blood pressure, which may lead to organ failure. Here, the infection or bacteria enters one’s bloodstream, causing blood poisoning, and may require surgery.

Major symptoms of sepsis
Sepsis can manifest in a variety of ways. Some of its early warning signs include severe discomfort or pain in the body, fever or chills due to lower body temperature, fast or trouble breathing, increased heart rate, reduced urine, and low blood pressure or hypotension. Additionally, it may result in sweaty or spotted skin and disorientation. The aforementioned symptoms could be mistaken for other illnesses like pneumonia or COVID-19.

Untreated sepsis can turn into septic shock rather quickly. Severe sepsis leads to organ failure. Any of the following symptoms may indicate severe sepsis: reduced platelet count, inability to breathe normally, dizziness, yellowing of skin, or lips, fingers, or toes turning blue. A sudden dip in body temperature, absolute weakness, or unconsciousness can also be a symptom of severe sepsis.

Sepsis symptoms can also be particularly challenging to recognize in newborns and children or individuals with dementia or speech issues. When in doubt, it’s best to seek medical help and undergo an examination immediately.

Who is at risk?
Any bacterial, viral, or fungal infection can result in sepsis. Most commonly, it affects people over the age of 65, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, or newborns. Those with kidney, intestinal, or urinary tract infections, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, leukemia, renal illness, and autoimmune diseases are at a higher risk of developing sepsis. Those with a compromised immune system or who’ve met with an accident and have severe wounds can also be at risk.

Diagnosis of sepsis
The most commonly infected areas that result in sepsis include the lungs, abdomen, pelvis, and urinary tract. A medical expert will request blood samples to check if there’s an abnormal spike in one’s white blood cells. The doctor will also test one’s temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, and heart rate. Other tests like CT scans, X-rays, urine tests, ultrasounds, MRI scans, etc. can be used to identify the type of infection, its location, and the parts affected.

How to prevent sepsis?
The best way to prevent sepsis is to avoid infections at all costs. A simple way is to maintain good hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly after coughing, sneezing, before and after preparing meals, contacting pets, or touching common surfaces like doorknobs, elevator buttons, etc. This is especially important during flu seasons or if one has a weaker immune system.

Apart from that, one needs to care for one’s wounds that can potentially develop a skin infection. Closely monitor it until it heals, and see a doctor if it begins to transition to an infection. Lastly, choose foods that boost immunity and help fight infections. Leafy greens and citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes enhance one’s immunity. Similarly, pomegranates and mushrooms activate healthy gut bacteria while apples and blueberries can help lower inflammation.

Treatment options for sepsis
Sepsis treatment involves many risk factors, varying from person to person. Typically, sepsis patients are treated at the hospital, where their infections are controlled, and blood pressure and organ health are closely monitored. For the initial stage, one’s doctor will correct one’s blood circulation with the fluid infusion. The doctor may add other treatments if it doesn’t work as needed.

Patients who are more severely afflicted can require a breathing tube or kidney dialysis to enhance one’s cardiac performance and boost blood flow to vital organs. Septic shock may even require surgery to remove the infected tissue or drain the abscess. If one sees any signs of the disease, it’s best to seek medical help as soon as possible.