The human body is very creative, complex and astonishing. Even though we have a good immune system, we often carry some infection due to poor hygiene check. Clostridium difficile is an infection named after the bacterium Clostridium difficile. This infection is spread by bacterial spores found in feces. This bacterium can cause severe damage to colon and could be fatal.
Why this happens and What causes this?
People often take antibiotics to eliminate a bacterial infection. However, this bacterium can trigger a potential danger infection for some people. This infection affects the body when the antibiotics kill the good bacteria instead of bad bacteria, thus causing colitis and inflammation in the colon. Infection is most common among age groups of 40 and above. Older adults in healthcare facilities are most at risk especially if they are taking antibiotics. Clostridium difficile bacteria exists in the air, soil, water, and feces of human beings and animals. Touching clothing, sheets or other surfaces that come in contact with feces and then touch your sensitive areas such as mouth or nose are one of the prime causes. Another main cause of this infection is taking antibiotics. Some people will be on the medication for a long time, using different medications etc, will lead to this infection.
How do I know (Symptoms)?
A person who is infected with Clostridium difficile will have all this or some of these symptoms.
- High Odour diarrhea
- Fever
- Severe abdominal cramps
- Dehydration
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite or weight loss
- Rapid heart rate
- Blood in stool
When to see a Doctor?
Not all diarrhea is because of Clostridium Difficile. Doctor assistance is needed when there is diarrhea with a high odor and abdominal cramps and blood in the stool which lasts for two to three days. Keep your doctor posted when you see any of this the very first day and seek for his advice if it continues for the third day.
How do I cure this?
Antibiotics are one of the treatments although the infection can come back because of antibiotics. In rare cases, if the intestine is damaged, surgery may be needed. Medications, which are used to stop diarrhea, will worsen the condition and is not recommended. Fecal bacteriotherapy is a treatment where another healthy person stool is placed inside your colon using a device called colonoscope. This procedure is also known as stool transplant and it re-establishes resistance to colonization by Clostridium Difficile. In severe cases, Colectomy surgery after checking with a doctor is recommended.
Prevention is better than cure
Even though this infection can range from mild to most severe, there are ways to prevent it in the first place.
- Avoid usage of any un-necessary Antibiotics
- Using antibiotics for a long period of time and using multiple antibiotics are of the causes. Even though antibiotics are mandatory in some cases, the using of these medications can be avoided and should be used only when needed the most and under Doctors prescription only
- Hand-washing: This is one of the most primal prevention to get rid of the infection problems. Hand-washing should be mandatory for everyone, working in healthcare sectors and even inside your own family, to prevent any infections. Warm water and soap is a better choice than an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is mandatory after using the restroom and before eating
All these infections can be prevented in the first place if we start to take care of ourselves and maintain a good hygiene lifestyle.