4 Ways to Identify Diphtheria

1. Breathe In, Breathe Out

Diphtheria bacteria covers the tonsils first and eventually coats the throat and larynx. If you're suffering from this disease, you will eventually encouinter difficulty breathing as the bacterial membrane covers the throat. If left untreated, diphtheria can affect your speech and mute your larynx altogether. A spreading infection also will cause a pungent, unmistakable breath odor that lingers even after you brush your teeth. Even your nose can show symptoms of diphtheria; a skin version of the disease is easy to identify by nasal discharge and scratches around your nostrils.

2. Note Any Neck Swelling

Diphtheria destroys healthy throat tissue, causing your throat to swell. The toxin also can enlarge the lymph nodes in your neck. To check if your lymph nodes are swollen, use your pointer and middle fingers to feel the lymph glands located on either side of your neck. They will feel unusually large if they are swollen and may feel sore or slightly warm.

3. Feeling Funny, Feeling Ill

If you've contracted diphtheria, you may initially think you have a simple cold or flu. The disease usually presents itself as a sore throat with a low-grade fever, but it will worsen without treatment. One way to identify a case of diphtheria that is progressing is by having someone ask you how you look. If you haven't been treated, you may go into shock--your skin may feel cold, your heartbeat may get faster, you may start sweating and you may look nervous.

4. Bigger Problems Ahead

If you don't treat your diphtheria for a while, it can pass through your bloodstream and cause infections elsewhere. Your heart and kidneys are most at risk from a rampant infection, so be sure to see a doctor and get treatment before your illness spreads that far