Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Symptoms
• Method 2 of 4: Professional Diagnostics
• Method 3 of 4: Treating Botulism
• Method 4 of 4: Preventing Botulism
• Tips

Botulism is a dangerous infectious disease.Botulism is caused by a toxin secreted by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The infection enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract and damaged skin. Once in the bloodstream, the toxin spreads throughout the body, affecting organs and systems. In severe cases, death can occur. Botulism is a rare disease. The main reason is the ingress of botulinum toxin into the human body with food. In addition, botulism can develop when spores of pathogenic bacteria enter an open wound. To determine whether you are sick with botulism or not, you need to know the symptoms of this disease, as well as undergo special diagnostics.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Symptoms

1. 1 Pay attention to muscle weakness throughout the body and muscle paralysis. In patients, there is a violation of gait and coordination of movement. Low muscle tone is typical in this disease.
   • Typically, muscle weakness and muscle paralysis spreads from top to bottom, starting in the shoulders and gradually progressing to the feet. Botulinum toxin acts both on the autonomic nervous system and on the somatic one. This leads to the fact that muscle tone gradually disappears from the upper limbs to the lower ones.
   • In botulism, muscle paralysis affects both sides of the body, in contrast to neurological diseases in which only one side of the body can be paralyzed.
   • Muscle weakness is one of the first and most important symptoms that leads to problems with speech, vision and breathing.
   • These symptoms are caused by the influence of the toxin on the nerves and their receptors, which control the work of organs and muscles.
2. 2 Pay attention to slurred speech. Speech impairment is caused by damage to the speech centers in the brain by a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. When the cranial nerves are damaged, the patient experiences problems with speech and lip movement.
   • The neurotoxin affects the eleventh and twelfth pairs of cranial nerves, which are responsible for speech.
3. 3 Pay attention to your eyelids. In patients with botulism, drooping of the eyelids is very often noted. Ptosis (drooping of the eyelid) occurs as a result of damage to the third pair of cranial nerves by neurotoxin. The third pair of cranial nerves is responsible for the movement of the eyeball, eyelids, and pupil size. In patients with botulism, the pupils are dilated and objects are perceived vaguely.
   • The drooping of the eyelids can be both unilateral and bilateral.
4. 4 Pay attention to breathing. Breathing problems can occur due to neurotoxin damage to the respiratory system. The neurotoxin causes a decrease in the activity of the respiratory muscles and, therefore, problems with gas exchange arise.
   • This can lead to respiratory arrest or impairment.
5. 5 Pay attention to your vision. Doubling in the eyes, blurring of the image can occur when the second pair of cranial nerves is damaged. The optic nerve (the second pair) is responsible for vision and for transmitting the image we see to the brain.
6. 6 Pay attention to the symptoms of botulism in children. In children, there is a decrease in muscle tone. The child can be like a "rag doll". In addition, the child may have poor appetite. He may not suck the bottle well due to decreased muscle tone and severe weakness.
   • Other symptoms are faint crying, dehydration, and dryness of the mucous membranes of the eyes.
   • An incompletely developed immune system is not able to give an immune response to infection, so the disease begins to progress.

Method 2 of 4: Professional Diagnostics

1. 1 Consult your doctor if you experience the above symptoms. Botulism is a very serious condition, so see your doctor immediately if you suspect botulism.
   • Symptoms begin to appear 18 to 36 hours after infection.
   • When the first symptoms appear, seek immediate medical attention.
2. 2 Get the necessary physical exam so your doctor can diagnose you. After you notice the first symptoms of botulism, go to the hospital immediately.
3. 3 Your doctor will examine you for symptoms of botulism. These symptoms may include: lack of watery eyes, dilated pupils, decreased tendon reflexes, dry mouth, urinary retention, difficulty urinating, and an inability to perform simple activities such as walking, speaking, and coordinating movements. Bowel sounds may also be reduced or absent altogether during the examination.
   • The child may experience a severe decrease in muscle tone.
   • In severe cases, the patient may have respiratory failure or hypoxia (low oxygen in the body).
   • Your doctor may ask you about recent injuries or food intake in the past 24 to 48 hours.
4. 4 Take the necessary tests, the results of which will help the doctor make the correct diagnosis. There are several diagnostic tests your doctor may ask you to do. This will help him make a correct diagnosis. Be prepared for the fact that several tests may be needed, thanks to the results of which, the doctor can confirm or deny the presence of botulism.
   • Laboratory tests: identification of the toxin in the blood, vomit, gastric lavage, urine, feces, as well as in the food that the patient ate before infection.
   • Electromyography: This is a method of electrophysiological diagnosis of lesions of the neuromuscular system, which allows you to confirm or deny the diagnosis. EMG is performed either with surface electrodes attached to the skin surface over the muscle under study, or with needle electrodes that are inserted directly into the muscle.
   • X-rays: During this examination, the doctor may see an intestinal obstruction or abnormal gastric motility, which can lead to a distension of the small intestine. A cerebrospinal fluid test may also be needed to confirm the presence of botulism.

Method 3 of 4: Treating Botulism

1. 1 First, reduce symptoms that can pose a serious threat to life and health. If the patient has low blood oxygen levels, it is important to provide appropriate respiratory therapy. In severe cases, ventilators are used.
   • In some cases, a nasogastric tube is placed to drain the contents of the stomach. In addition, nasogastric tube feeding may be necessary.
2. 2 Reducing the action of the toxin. If the patient is awake and has bowel sounds, the doctor may prescribe enemas or antiemetics to remove the toxin from the body. In addition, the doctor may order a bladder catheterization with a thin elastic catheter.
   • Antitoxin is used for adults and children over one year of age, if the diagnosis is confirmed by appropriate research.
   • In addition, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics for wound botulism.
3. 3 Wound treatment. The doctor or surgeon should disinfect the wound using irrigation and debridement. In addition, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics (high doses of penicillin) and antitoxin.

Method 4 of 4: Preventing Botulism

1. 1 Botulism can be prevented by following the rules of canning. Also, pay attention to the expiration date of the products. Do not eat canned foods that you doubt the quality of. Throw away canned food with signs of bloating. This is especially true for canned food prepared at home.
2. 2 Do not give honey or corn syrup to children under one year old. These products may contain Clostridium botulinum. As a rule, these products will not affect the health of adults, but due to the fact that children have a weak immune system, this can be fraught with serious consequences for the health and life of the child.
   • Hundreds of children fall ill with botulism every year.However, studies have shown that only 15% of cases of the disease were due to the consumption of honey. In 85% of cases, the cause was not identified, but it was most likely related to the consumption of corn syrup or foods that were not properly processed. In addition, not the last place was occupied by soil contamination of the wound, which had the conditions necessary for the germination of Clostridium botulinum.
3. 3 Wash the wound with warm water and soap. Apply a bandage if you are outdoors. If you suspect that you or your child has botulism, seek emergency medical attention.
   • Wash dirty clothes in hot water. Use appropriate detergents if you are an agricultural worker or if your job is land-based.
   • Avoid reusing needles as this can lead to wound botulism. Dispose of needles in a safe manner. Do not use reusable needles.

Tips

• A German physician studied and described the clinic of the disease, which he called botulism. He believed that the cause of the disease was improper preparation of sausages. Testing on himself, he tried to isolate an unknown toxin from the sausage. The disease resulting from poisoning with the toxin described by him is called "botulism" from the Latin botulus, which means "sausage".