At 23, Caitlin Alsop must have been in a coma. She suffered from sepsis after the infection of a belated wisdom tooth.
The infection of one of his wisdom teeth could have cost him his life. It all started for Caitlin Alsop, a 23-year-old Briton, with a mild fever, fatigue and rashes. “I was lying in my bed after dinner trying to relax, but I felt tired and hot like something was wrong,” the young woman explained to the Dailymail (in English). Then one side of my tongue swelled up to the point that I couldn’t swallow.”
She goes very quickly to the hospital and the doctors diagnose her with anaphylaxis, the most serious manifestation of the allergy. But his condition continues to deteriorate. “They thought about amputating my tongue because it had turned black and was too swollen,” she recalls. She ended up in a coma for nine days.
“Sepsis can start with any infection”
When he wakes up, new tests reveal that the origin of his sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection, is due to the infection of one of his wisdom teeth. This tooth had never shown signs of infection and Caitlin had good dental hygiene. “It could have happened to anyone, sepsis can start with any infection,” said the young woman.
With antibiotic treatment and the removal of her wisdom teeth, Caitlin was released from the hospital. Four years later, she is lisping and suffering from memory problems, a common side effect of coma. While all four wisdom teeth don’t always need to be removed, there are many instances where removing them is absolutely critical for oral health. The dentist may recommend the operation from the age of 18, the age at which the third molars can begin to grow.
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