Our body has an immune and endocrine system that reacts to diseases. Due to the fact that Diphtheria (C. diphtheria) is most commonly positioned in the upper respiratory tract, it causes potentially lethal damage. To have any serious effect on our body, Diphtheria must first brake through the membrane tissue and mucous membrane barriers in the throat. Once it breaks through it can cause trouble breathing, for the dead cells and bacteria will build on the throat walls until they are all crowded together,but if these bacterium were to break off and fall into the lungs it can cause widespread inflammation. Due to these effects there is a good chance that the Diphtheria suffer will suffer from respiratory failure, which means their lungs will not function correctly.
Most of the Nervous system effects occur only weeks after Diphtheria starts it's attack. These effects are known as 'Complications'. The first Complication that can occur is that of Paralysis of the diaphragm {Click here for a 3D diagram}. Your diaphragm is a thick dome-shaped muscle that sits between your chest and abdomen, which helps you breath in and out. Your diaphragm can be paralysed over the period of an hour an a half, which is very sudden. It can become paralysed weeks after your Diphtheria symptoms, even if you have overcome infections and other complications already. It can be highly dangerous if your diaphragm paralysed, and you would need to have a ventilator put in, this ventilator will mimic your diaphragm and lungs, it is fatal, if your diaphragm fails, to get a ventilator immediately.
Another Complication could be that of Bladder problems. Bladder problems occur with problems in the nerves that control your bladder. Symptoms to this may occur for you will not be able to empty your bladder properly.
Symptoms can be:
- Needing to urinate often, due to the fact that you wouldn't be able to empty your bladder properly.
- losing control of your bladder
and
- Only urinating in small amounts.
Bladder problems usually occur before diaphragm paralysis, so on would take bladder problems as a warning sign.