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Typhoid fever- Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Typhoid fever- Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Mudassar Hussain808 19-Sep-2019

What is Typhoid fever? 

Typhoid fever is the result of an infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. The fever is contracted by eating or drinking the bacterium present in contaminated food or water. The bacterium is usually spread through direct contact with the feces of a person who has been already infected. If left untreated, the condition may become fatal and difficult to treat.

How Typhoid fever spreads in the body?

When a person ingests contaminated water of food, the bacteria enter into small intestine thereby getting a passage to enter the bloodstream. From here, bacteria are transported by the white blood cells to the spleen, liver and bone marrow. Here, they multiply and re-enter the bloodstream, when this happens, people start developing symptoms of fever. As the infection progresses, bacteria invade the biliary system, gallbladder and lymphoid tissue of the bowel where they multiply in high numbers and get passed into the intestinal tract.

Symptoms associated with Typhoid fever –

Most common symptoms associated with typhoid are -

• High fever which can be as high as 103 - 104 degrees

• Weakness

• Headache

• Constipation and Diarrhoea

• Loss of appetite

• Cough

Some people may also develop flat and rose-colored rashes on the body.

Diagnosis of typhoid fever –

If the doctor suspects that a person might be suffering from Typhoid fever, he may prescribe stool, blood or urine tests. These tests usually check for the presence of Salmonella typhi in the body of the person to ensure if he/she is infected on not. Depending upon the severity of the condition, a comprehensive treatment plan may be given to the patient.

Treatment of Typhoid fever

The fever is usually treated with the help of antibiotics that kill Salmonella bacteria. In case the condition becomes chronic, antibiotics may be prescribed for a prolonged above-mentioned.

Prevention of Typhoid fever –

Typhoid fever is spread through direct contact with the bacteria which is usually present at unhygienic places. Therefore, in order to prevent the infection from catching you, following precautionary measures should be practiced -

1. If you are traveling, prefer drinking bottled water

2. Refrain from eating too much of street food

3. Avoid having ice in the drinks

4. Avoid eating raw vegetables and fruits. In case you have to eat some, peel them before consumption.

Apart from the above-mentioned measures, if a person is traveling to a high-risk area, it is highly recommended that s/he should get vaccinated against typhoid fever. This can be done by taking oral medication or using an injection. Oral vaccines are available in the form of 4 tablets that must be administered every second day and the last tablet is taken 1 week prior to travel. Shots are a form of inactivated vaccine that must be administered 2 weeks prior to traveling.

What else should you know?

Even after a person gets recovered from the infection, he or she may still be carrying the bacteria. So there are high chances that bacteria may be passed on to other people. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the fact that a person needs to have a clear indication from the doctor, stating that s/he is well and there is no trace of bacteria in the body. Care should also be taken to stay away from unhygienic places so that the infection does not return back.

Endnote –

Typhoid fever is very common, but if not diagnosed in time the condition may become fatal. Therefore, it is recommended that if a person has a high fever for more than 3 days, which doesn’t come down with normal medication, s/he must visit the doctor immediately. The doctor may then prescribe blood tests to ensure if the patient is suffering from typhoid fever or not. There are several hospitals in Delhi that provide optimal treatment and diagnosis of typhoid fever. If you are looking for a hospital that offers the best diagnostic and treatment services in Delhi, Venkateshwar hospital in Dwarka can be the most suitable option.


Updated 16-Nov-2019
A well versed, slightly obsessive and experienced online marketer specializing in search engine optimization, content marketing, and social media marketing.

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