What should you avoid eating when you have tetanus?

Written by Tang Da Wei
General Surgery
Updated on May 17, 2025
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A tetanus shot involves injecting tetanus antitoxin into the muscle, which is a form of passive immunity. It is usually administered when there is a wound on the patient's body and a suspected infection by tetanus bacillus, effectively preventing the severe complications caused by the toxins released by the tetanus bacillus.

Since there is a wound on the body, a light diet is generally required during the eating process. It is necessary to avoid spicy and irritating foods, avoid drinking alcohol, and avoid smoking. Consuming spicy and irritating foods, including alcohol, can lead to inflammation and infection of the wound, and may even cause local blood vessels at the wound site to dilate, worsening the patient's condition.

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Which part of the body is the tetanus shot administered?

Tetanus shots are administered in the buttocks or the muscular part of the upper arm, typically given as a muscle injection. Tetanus shots must not be administered intravenously. Before administering a tetanus shot, a skin test is conducted. If the skin test is positive, it is necessary to switch to a tetanus immune globulin that does not require a skin test; if the skin test is negative, a muscle injection can be performed. Tetanus is caused by the colonization of Clostridium tetani in the human body, producing neurotoxins, leading to a specific type of infection. Therefore, if the wound is deep and heavily contaminated, it is essential to promptly treat with a tetanus shot.

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What should I do if I am allergic to tetanus shots?

The full name of the tetanus shot is tetanus antitoxin serum, which is mainly made from horse serum and has certain allergenic properties. If a patient is allergic to tetanus antitoxin serum, desensitization injections can be used, which involves gradually injecting one milliliter of the tetanus antitoxin serum into the body in four or more sessions, with each injection spaced about twenty to thirty minutes apart. After each injection, it is important to closely observe the patient's reaction, including checking for signs of itching in the nose, hives throughout the body, or difficulty breathing. If any of these symptoms occur, emergency treatment should be administered. If the injections of tetanus antitoxin serum cannot be completed multiple times, or if the patient is unwilling to accept this method of injection, tetanus immunoglobulin can be administered instead of tetanus antitoxin serum. Tetanus immunoglobulin does not require a sensitivity test and can be directly injected into the body without causing an allergic reaction, although it is more expensive.

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Do you get a fever during the early stages of tetanus?

Tetanus symptoms can potentially begin with a fever during the early stage, generally occurring between six and ten days after injury, meaning symptoms can appear within 24 hours or several weeks post-injury. The shorter the incubation period, the more severe the symptoms and the higher the risk. Some patients may experience fatigue, headache, dizziness, restlessness, and possibly fever. Subsequently, typical symptoms of tetanus occur, primarily characterized by intense muscle contractions starting with the facial muscles. This includes difficulties in opening the mouth and lockjaw, among others. Thus, prevention is crucial for tetanus. When there is a local tissue injury, it is essential to promptly disinfect with hydrogen peroxide or iodine, followed by cleaning and suturing the wound and timely tetanus vaccination to prevent the disease.

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When does tetanus occur?

Tetanus is an infection caused by the invasion of the body by Clostridium tetani. Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen, which is likely to cause tetanus in conditions such as anaerobic environments, deep wounds, or heavily contaminated wounds. Therefore, in cases where wounds are relatively small yet deep, and are considered to be in an anaerobic environment, or are contaminated with rust or soil, or in situations such as open fractures, blast injuries, gunshot wounds, and animal bites, tetanus injection treatment is necessary. It is generally recommended to administer the injection within 24 hours, and a skin test should be conducted before the injection, with alcohol consumption prohibited.

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Is the tetanus shot safe?

It is safe to receive tetanus treatment at an accredited hospital. There are two types of tetanus injections: the tetanus toxoid, which requires a skin test, and the tetanus immunoglobulin, which does not require a skin test. Alcohol consumption must be avoided before using the tetanus toxoid. If the skin test is negative, the injection is safe. The other type, tetanus immunoglobulin, can be used directly without a skin test. Tetanus injections from reputable manufacturers and hospitals are safe. However, some people may experience symptoms such as pain, nausea, and vomiting during the tetanus injection. Typically, these symptoms can be alleviated and disappear with symptomatic treatment after the injection.