Tetanus, sometimes known as lockjaw, is a disease that is caused by bacteria found in household dust or soil and manure.  Tetanus attacks the body through open wounds and causes stiffness in the jaw muscles; hence the name lockjaw.

Typical symptoms of tetanus may include headache, stiffness of the jaw, fever, difficulty swallowing, and severe muscle spasms.  Symptoms usually present after eight days after being infected, and can last anywhere from three days to three weeks.  In rare cases, Tetanus can be fatal if the lockjaw is not treated, because the locked jaw can lead to breathing difficulties, and the person with suffocate to death.

 Vaccination for tetanus is easily available, and it is the key for the prevention of this disease. Therefore, a strict vaccination schedule must be followed. Tetanus usually occurs among those persons who are either not vaccinated at all, or to whom proper dosages have not been given.

Therefore, all children should be immunized and this immunization should be maintained throughout life by administering booster dosages of tetanus vaccine at regular intervals. Also, all pregnant mothers should get a cover of vaccination. If the mother is already vaccinated, booster dosages must be administered.

In addition to the regular vaccination schedule, in all cases of injury or wounds, vaccination must be done as a preventive measure, even if the injury is small. Besides injuries, tetanus vaccination is also indicated in the case of ear discharge (otitis media), since severe cases of otitis with eardrum perforation may allow the tetanus bacterium to pass through the perforation.

Tetanus vaccination is essential as a preventive measure before minor/major operations. At the same time, a precise regimen of sterilization must be practiced in order to reduce the incidence of tetanus in the operating room.

Since a previous tetanus infection does not provide lifetime immunity, the patient must continue to receive regular tetanus vaccinations to prevent future infections.

The second most important step in the prevention of tetanus is immediate care of the wound. Roadside injuries should be given very careful attention as accidental wounds are almost always contaminated with tetanus spores and are likely to cause tetanus. Apart from a thorough cleaning of the wound, all foreign bodies; debris, etc. must be carefully removed, and if necessary, the whole wound may need to be surgically excised under anesthesia so that the wound becomes thoroughly sterile. This is especially required when the wound is mutilated one.

Hygienic conditions must be maintained both at home in the outside environment.  One should not walk barefoot even in one's house. All types of accidents and injuries may occur within the house, especially in the case of children.

Early warning signals of tetanus must always be kept in mind, especially 'lockjaw', so that even if tetanus occurs, early urgent preventive/therapeutic steps can be taken, so that the disease does not progress to a life threatening stage.

It may be concluded that if by following the above preventive measures religiously that one can succeed in preventing this potentially deadly disease.  All health care professionals should recommend  national guidelines for tetanus vaccinations.