We all know someone who loves to chew on their nails.
While such act may not be the prettiest one, you might be surprised to learn that it can also be extremely dangerous.
Luke Hanoman, a 28-year-old father of two from the UK, recently decided he will never again bite his nails. As he was biting them, he accidentally bit into the skin at the side of one of his fingernails.
Shortly after, Luke began experiencing flu-like symptoms but thought it was nothing serious, so he continued with his daily routine.
Despite feeling nauseous and unable to focus, Luke left for his work, as he was sure the symptoms would pass away on their own.
“I had cold sweats, I was shaking, and then going hot. And then my finger started swelling up and I had this unbearable throbbing,” Luke reported.
One day, he woke up 2 pm which had his mother very worried. Besides waking up later than usual, he was also in a terrible condition.
Fortunately, the worried mother called the paramedics who immediately rushed him to the ER. Upon arrival, Luke was placed on a stretcher and examined.
The doctors found red lines all over his body. These were indicating that he is infected and that the infection is spreading rapidly. On top of that, his body temperature was skyrocketing.
Four days and a handful of antibiotics later, Luke was finally treated. According to the hospital staff, he was lucky to be alive. While the antibiotics could treat the infection, there’s nothing they can do once sepsis kicks in. This occurs when the infection is present for an extended period of time.
Getty
It is crucial to get treated as soon as the infection occurs to prevent sepsis. “It almost doesn’t matter then if you get antibiotics, if you kill off the bacteria, because you’ve started a vicious cycle of inflammation, organ damage, and tissue damage that your body just perpetuates itself,” Dr. Steven Simpson from Sepsis Alliance explained.
According to the Sepsis Alliance statistics, this condition is accountable for the death of as much as 250,000 Americans yearly.
To raise the awareness of this deadly medical condition, please SHARE this post with your friends and family!