Luke Woodhouse didn't want to believe that a simple toothache could end up in an infection that put his life at risk. A year later, he tells his story as an alert.
© Facebook/Queensland Health
18/09/2026
by
News to Minutes
Nlast year, Luke Woodhouse devalued a severe toothache, thinking it was nothing important. The problem would prove serious and the 35-year-old man was at risk. Now leave a warning.
Luke Woodhouse thought he had a simple toothache. However, his state of health worsened and symptoms such as diarrhea, tightness of the chest and chills, led him to the hospital where he would be confronted with a worse reality.
The man developed sepsis, a severe infection, caused by a dental abscess. Consequently, he developed an infectious endocarditis – heart infection – that destroyed a valve.
“It was only when a doctor told me that I had affected blood that I realized the seriousness of the situation,” the Australian confesses, in an exclusive interview with People magazine.
The man was informed that he would need to perform open-heart surgery to remove the infected valve and replace it with a mechanic. If I didn't, I'd have to take anticoagulants or blood thinners for the rest of my life.
Luke's life changed dramatically, with the medication being now part of his daily routine. From this day on, not only is he more attentive to his health in general, but he began to value more the people who accompanied him in this journey of struggle for life.
Today, and looking back, Luke assumes that he has learned that the gravity with which a disease is felt at the moment does not always reflect how dangerous it can be and expect his history to be an example to many others.