Symptoms Of Septicemia

October 17, 2023

Septicemia is a type of serious infection in the bloodstream, and in some cases, it's also known as blood poisoning. This infection occurs when a bacterial infection in some other area of the body enters the bloodstream. The toxins and bacteria are then carried to the entire body. Septicemia can become life-threatening if not treated right away, and treatment must occur at a hospital. Not treating septicemia can lead to sepsis.

Many different symptoms point to septicemia. Individuals may also have elevated risk factors depending on your wounds, age, and whether or not you have a compromised immune system.

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are common signs of septicemia. Vomiting refers to a reflex in which stomach contents are expelled through the mouth. Nausea refers to feeling as though you may vomit, even if you haven't actually vomited. Vomiting and nausea are both common symptoms across many different ailments, so experiencing these symptoms isn't an immediate guarantee of septicemia. Both children and adults can experience these symptoms. If you're pregnant or undergoing cancer treatment, you may have vomiting and nausea symptoms that have nothing to do with an overarching condition. Other common causes of nausea include intense pain, emotional stress, food poisoning, indigestion, and motion sickness. Individuals also frequently experience nausea when they have gallstones.

Learn about more signs of septicemia to watch for now.

Fever And Chills

A fever and chills are some of the most common initial symptoms of septicemia. Septicemia symptoms begin very quickly and tend to have an intense onset. Even when it's the beginning stage of the sickness, individuals often look extremely sick. You may experience this fever after having an injury, localized infection, or surgery. The fever occurs when your immune system raises your body's temperature as it attempts to fight off the infection. Chills happen alongside the fever. Since your body is putting so many of its resources into fighting the illness, it doesn't have enough energy left over to keep you warm. Individuals have 'chills' when they're cold for no apparent reason.

Keep reading to reveal more septicemia symptoms.

Rapid Pulse And Breathing

A rapid pulse and breathing tend to occur in the early stages of the disease. Individuals have very fast respiration rates and elevated heart rates. This is another symptom that occurs thanks to the body fighting off the infection. A rapid heart rate can cause the blood to circulate faster, however, which might make the infection worse. If an individual might have septicemia, it's important to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Untreated septicemia can lead to sepsis and septic shock, which can easily become fatal.

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Quite Low Body Temperature

If you experience a quite low body temperature in conjunction with septicemia, it's likely you're dealing with sepsis or septic shock. Septic shock refers to a marked drop in overall blood pressure. When bacteria release toxins into your bloodstream, this causes your blood flow to become extremely low, which can then cause tissue and organ damage. It also drops your body temperature. Septic shock is considered a medical emergency, and individuals who experience it generally need to be cared for in an ICU. Individuals experiencing septic shock may even need to have a ventilator until their system gets better.

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Diarrhea

Up to twenty percent of patients with septicemia have reported diarrhea. This is a symptom that might occur in the later stages of the disease. It is not clear precisely why this happens, but it might have something to do with the body trying to purge itself of infection. It may also be related to the infection causing damage to the digestive system, which then leads to the loose stools. Other common late symptoms of the infection are confusion and an inability to think in clear terms, red dots appearing on the skin, a reduced volume of urine, and overall inadequate blood flow.

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