You could be in the hospital from two to four weeks. It takes time to recover from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), and most people do. Severe cases can be fatal, though, especially during the three months after it started. The most common complications tend to be sepsis (an inflammatory reaction in your whole body), trouble breathing because fluid builds up in your lungs, or many organs that stop working. Your chances are better if you're young and otherwise healthy, but you're still at greater risk for up to a year. Sometimes, SJS has effects that will show up years after you heal, including:
- Scars where your skin peeled
- Dry eyes that hurt in bright light
- Trouble seeing
- Infections in your gums or mouth
- Lung problems such as bronchitis, which causes a bad cough and trouble breathing