I recognize typhoid fever by these symptoms | What is typhoid fever?

I recognize typhoid fever by these symptoms

Typical for typhoid fever is that the symptoms appear in different stages and change depending on the stage. They usually appear after 1-3 weeks.

• In the first stage, constipation and a slow development of fever initially occur.

  In addition, abdominal pain, headaches and disturbances of consciousness are common. The first stage lasts about one week and is not always quickly recognized due to the sometimes unspecific symptoms.

• The 2nd and 3rd week of the disease form the second stage. This is where the so-called continuum fever occurs, in which the body temperature is constantly above 38°C, but fluctuates a little every day.

  The heart rate is lowered and abdominal pain occurs. In about 30% of all affected people, small red spots appear on the skin of the abdomen, also known as roseoles. Often there is also pea-like bowel movements and clouding of consciousness.

  The typhus tongue can also be observed occasionally in this stage.

• In the last stage, 3 weeks after the onset of the disease, the symptoms slowly subside.

In the second and third week of the typhus disease, the so-called typhus tongue can occur in rare cases. A grayish white coating forms in the middle of the tongue. This coating is surrounded by free, strongly reddened edges at the edge and tip of the tongue.

In about 30% of all people who contract typhoid fever, a rash develops during the 2nd stage, i.e. the 2nd and 3rd week of the disease. This is located on the skin of the chest and abdomen and is usually localized around the navel. This results in the appearance of small reddish spots.

They are often only visible for a short period of time, but are very characteristic of the disease. In the medical field they are also called roseoles. Different types of fever occur in the course of the typhoid fever.

At first there is a slow rise in body temperature in the first week, which occurs in stages. In the 2nd and 3rd week of the infectious disease, the so-called continuum fever occurs. During this time the body temperature is constantly above 38°C. In the course of a day, however, it fluctuates slightly. This fever is very characteristic because it does not lead to chills – as is typical for fever – and also responds very poorly to antipyretic medication.