Latest news with #Graham Bell
News24
2 days ago
- Health
- News24
‘I nearly died after my cracked tooth caused a brain abscess'
What started as excitement for a day trip to Wales became a medical nightmare when Graham Bell's face began swelling just as he and his wife prepared to leave their home in mid-March. Graham's wife Sue immediately noticed something was seriously wrong – her husband's face was visibly swollen and he complained of severe headaches. Instead of heading to Wales, the Liverpool couple rushed to hospital, where tests revealed a shocking diagnosis. Graham (61) had developed a 3cm brain abscess, a dangerous condition where pus builds up in brain tissue due to bacterial infection. Even more surprising was the source – a cracked tooth he'd been living with, completely unaware it was harbouring a deadly infection. 'It was bizarre because I had no pain or swelling in my mouth to tell me there was something wrong,' Graham recalls. 'My clinical team worked to understand what was going on and found that the infection had actually come from an infection in a cracked tooth I had.' The diagnosis hit him hard. 'It was a lot of information to take in a short time,' he says. 'I had the family around me, but I think we were all in a bit of shock. I wasn't well, so finding out what was going on quickly was key for all of us.' Graham's ordeal was far from over. He required emergency surgery to drain the abscess, but complications arose when he developed sepsis. 'I was rushed back into surgery to drain the abscess again and they gave me high doses of antibiotics to help tackle the infection,' he explains. After six weeks in hospital, Graham is slowly on the road to recovery, though challenges remain. 'It's early days and his latest review in July was encouraging,' his wife says. 'He still has issues with communicating and moving around, but we're following the therapy and on our way to getting back to as close to normal as possible.' Show Comments ()
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
My cracked tooth led to a deadly brain condition after becoming infected... here's the symptom that diagnosed me
A man's seemingly benign tooth infection spiraled into a deadly brain condition. Graham Bell, a 61-year-old father-of-two from the UK, was preparing for a day trip with his wife, Sue, in March when he came down with a severe headache. Sue also noticed her husband's face 'had fallen to one side,' which is usually a sign of a stroke. However, after being rushed to the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, doctors found a one-inch mass in Graham's brain called an abscess. Graham underwent 'life-saving brain surgery' to drain the abscess, a growth that forms from pus and other materials in the brain. Abscesses swell and put pressure on the brain, which damages cells and restricts blood flow, eventually killing off brain tissue. Doctors believe the growth was caused by a crack in one of Graham's teeth that had become infected. He said in a hospital news release: 'It was bizarre because I had no pain or swelling in my mouth to tell me there was something wrong.' About 1,500 to 2,500 Americans suffer brain abscesses every year, and around 10 to 30 percent die from the condition. Estimates vary for the UK but range from 200 to 900 cases per year with a similar mortality rate. Bacteria from tooth infections are thought to travel from the infected tooth through the bloodstream, reaching the brain through the sinuses. Pus, which forms from infected tissues, then develops into an abscess. Sue said by the time Graham got to the hospital, his condition 'had deteriorated greatly.' 'The ambulance brought us to The Walton Centre, and once there I knew it was serious,' she said. 'Graham was prepped for surgery right away. The team was so professional, but it was obvious that speed was of the essence.' Surgery to drain the abscess was a success, and Graham's condition gradually began to improve over the coming days. He said: 'It was a lot of information to take in a short time. I had the family around me, but I think we were all in a bit of shock. I was not well, so finding out what was going on quickly was key for all of us.' However, his symptoms returned a few days after surgery, with doctors realizing Graham was suffering from sepsis. Sepsis is the immune system's extreme reaction to an infection that causes the body to attack vital organs. It's been dubbed a 'silent killer' in the US, taking 350,000 lives each year or one every 90 seconds. It's usually treated with antibiotics for the underlying infection and medications called vasopressors, which divert blood flow back to vital organs. However, this takes blood from 'non-vital' areas like limbs, increasing the risk of tissue death and amputations. Graham was rushed to the operating room for a second time to drain the abscess again. He spent six weeks recovering, though scar tissue in the brain from the infection has left him with some communication and movement delays. Sue said: 'He still has issues with communicating and moving around, but we're following the therapy and on our way to getting back to as close to normal as possible.' Graham's two children, Rob and Aimee, raised about $4,200 for The Walton Centre Charity with a sponsored walk after being inspired by their father's treatment. Sue said: 'The hospital saved his life. For that there is nothing we can do to thank them enough! 'But as a family we can raise some money and give something back to support the outstanding care they give to patients every day.'
