This is a rare but very serious health condition that occurs due to a toxin that damages the body’s nerves. It is called botulism, and sometimes it may cause life-threatening symptoms. One of the bacteria that produces this toxin is called Clostridium botulinum. Some people may experience this condition due to a wound or food contamination, or when bacterial spores grow in the intestines of an infant. Rarely, a treatment or bioterrorism causes botulism. Check below the most common botulism types:
- Foodborne botulism – It occurs when bacteria produce the toxin in environments with little oxygen (including home-canned foods).
- Wound botulism – In such cases, a person becomes infected with the bacteria from a cut or unhealed wound.
- Infant botulism – This type of condition occurs when bacteria spores grow in the intestinal tract of an infant. Usually, it occurs in babies between 2 to 8 months of age. In rare cases, this botulism type may occur in adults.
Sometimes, people may develop this condition after getting too much botulinum toxin that is injected for cosmetic or other reasons. In such cases, the condition is called iatrogenic botulism. Other people may develop this condition by inhaling toxins, which often happens as a result of bioterrorism.
In any case, all types of botulism are life-threatening and require immediate treatment.
Symptoms
The symptoms appear differently among people because they depend on several factors. These include the type and severity of the condition, your age, and other factors.
Foodborne Botulism
People with this type usually experience symptoms within 36 hours after the toxin enters the body. Check below the most common symptoms that people with foodborne botulism experience:
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Dry mouth
- Facial weakness that usually affects both sides
- Vision changes (including double or blurred vision)
- Breathing problems
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Paralysis
Wound Botulism
In such cases, the symptoms appear within 10 days after exposure to the toxin. Examples include:
- Drooping eyelids
- Shortness of breath
- Some symptoms similar to a previous type of botulism (such as blurred vision, paralysis, facial weakness, and others)
In addition, the wound area may not appear swollen or show a color change every time.
Infant Botulism
Commonly, in infants, botulism symptoms appear within 36 hours after the toxin enters the body. For example:
- Weak cry
- Drooping eyelids
- Tiredness
- Difficulty sucking or feeding
- Paralysis
- Irritability
- Constipation
- Drooling
- Floppy movements caused by weakness of the muscles
While botulism usually does not cause the following symptoms, some people with wound botulism may experience fever. These include hypertension (high blood pressure), confusion, heart rate changes, and others.
Iatrogenic Botulism
In people with this type, the toxin is often injected for cosmetic or medical reasons. However, it happens quite rarely and may cause the following symptoms. Examples include headaches, facial paralysis, and muscle weakness.
If you suspect you have this condition, immediately contact your healthcare professional. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent complications and increase survival chances.
Causes
This condition occurs due to different causes depending on the type you experience. Examples include:
Foodborne Botulism
The main source of this type is homemade food that is not canned or preserved properly. For example, foods are typically fruits, vegetables, and fish. Some people may develop this type of botulism due to other foods, including spicy peppers (chiles), foil-wrapped baked potatoes, and oil infused with garlic.
Wound Botulism
This type occurs when the C. botulinum bacteria enter the body through a cut or unhealed wound, where they multiply and produce toxins. Sometimes, people get this bacteria due to traumatic injuries or surgery.
Moreover, this type has increased recently in those who inject heroin that contains bacteria spores. In most cases, wound botulism occurs in people who inject black tar heroin.
Infant Botulism
It appears in infants when the bacteria spores grow in the intestines. Sometimes, infants may develop botulism due to honey, but mostly develop it due to exposure to contaminated soil. This intestinal botulism may affect adults as well, but it is less common.
Iatrogenic Botulism
This type of condition happens when the botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic or medical reasons (including wrinkle removal, migraine treatment, and others).
What Are The Possible Complications of Botulism?
This toxin negatively affects the muscles that control different body parts. However, this toxin may cause certain complications, especially if you do not get treatment. One of the most common causes of death in people with botulism is the inability to breathe. Check below some complications:
- Speaking problems
- Difficulty swallowing
- Long-lasting weakness
- Shortness of breath
This document does not contain all possible botulism complications. For more details, discuss it with your doctor.
How to Prevent Botulism?
There are some tips that may help prevent botulism. Examples include:
Foodborne Botulism
It is advised to use proper techniques when preserving or canning foods because it helps destroy botulism germs. Check below some tips that you should consider when preparing and storing food:
- You should prepare foods at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 Celsius) for at least 20 minutes before canning or preserving.
- Some foods should be boiled for at least 10 minutes before eating them.
- It is not recommended to eat preserved foods if the container is bulging or the food smells bad. However, the presence of the bacteria that cause botulism cannot be determined according to the smell and taste of the canned or preserved food.
- Wrap potatoes before baking and eating them. After preparing them, potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator.
- Infused homemade oils or herbs should also be stored in the refrigerator. Otherwise, throw them away after 4 days.
Wound Botulism
One sure way to prevent this type of botulism is to avoid injecting or inhaling street drugs. Moreover, keep your wounds clean because it helps prevent infections. Seek medical care if you suspect a wound becomes infected.
Infant Botulism
To reduce the risk of this condition in infants, you should not give them honey. This is true especially for children under 1 year of age.
Iatrogenic Botulism
It is recommended to make sure you get cosmetic or other medical procedures from a licensed healthcare provider. It helps to prevent this condition as well as other infections. These include onabotulinumtoxin A (also known as Botox), abobotulinumtoxin A, and others.
Diagnosis
Physicians usually diagnose this condition by performing a physical examination to check for abnormalities linked with the disease and asking some questions about the symptoms and medical history. They may also ask some questions about the foods you recently ate. Sometimes, they may perform some tests, including blood and stool testing, urine tests, and others.
One of the possible causes of infant botulism is honey. Additional symptoms of this condition are weakness and constipation.
Treatment
Healthcare professionals usually recommend clearing out the digestive system by vomiting and may recommend some medicines to improve bowel movements. For wound botulism, surgery is often the best option. It helps remove infected tissue and lessen the symptoms. Check below some additional treatments often prescribed by doctors for people with botulinum:
Antitoxin
This medicine is often injected into people with foodborne and wound botulism to reduce the risk of complications. It helps prevent damage to the nerves. While it cannot reverse nerve damage, nerves can repair themselves. Usually, a lot of people recover completely after treatment. The recovery time is often different among patients and involves months of treatment and extended rehabilitation.
For infants, doctors prescribe a different type of antitoxin called botulism immune globulin.
Antibiotics
Commonly, doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat wound botulism, which is caused by bacteria.
Breathing Assistance
In severe cases, people need a mechanical ventilator for a few weeks while the body tries to destroy the effects caused by the toxin. This ventilator is used to force air into the lungs through a specific tube that is inserted into the airways.
Rehabilitation
This treatment part may last a long period and involves speech therapy, physical therapy, and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can botulism be mistaken for?
There are some health problems that can be mistaken for botulism. These include Guillain-Barre syndrome, myasthenia gravis, chemical intoxication, stroke, Miller-Fisher syndrome, and other central nervous system diseases.
How long can you live with botulism?
Early diagnosis and immediate treatment are the key. In any case, most people with this condition recover completely within weeks or months. Sometimes, botulism may cause some life-threatening symptoms. If you suspect you have this condition, immediately contact your healthcare professional.
Who is most prone to botulism?
Generally, children under 1 year of age are more likely to develop this condition. Furthermore, some adults with gastrointestinal problems are also at increased risk. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
