Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day

Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day is an American holiday designed to raise awareness of the disease. It is celebrated every year on May 31. Necrotizing fasciitis is bacterial in nature and can affect the skin, muscles, and various tissues in the human body. It requires urgent treatment.

History

The story of Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day begins with a man named Tim Hayden, who discovered a scratch on his knuckle in 2006 and didn’t pay attention to it. The next morning, he developed the typical symptoms of a cold and red streaks all over his body. He went to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed necrotizing fasciitis. Thanks to timely treatment, Tim survived and was cured. In 2016, Hayden, along with his online awareness group, created a holiday to raise awareness about necrotizing fasciitis.

The cause of the disease is group A streptococcus. The disease is very rare and almost never affects healthy people, but you should not ignore it, because good awareness can save the life of you or someone you know. If similar symptoms as Hayden’s are observed in the presence of skin lesions, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Interesting facts

• Until the 19th century, necrotizing fasciitis was considered a type of ulcer.
• The disease is provoked by flesh-eating bacteria. They can eat a person alive!
• Per 100,000 people, the probability of having the disease is 40% in the United States. In Western Europe, 1 case is diagnosed among this number.

How to celebrate

Learn more about this disease today. What treatments are available.

Tell about the holiday on your social networks. Ask users if they or someone they know has had necrotizing fasciitis. How did they cope with the disease? Let them tell their story.

When is Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day celebrated in 2024?

Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day is observed on May 31 each year.

Observations