What is colonization? Can I get C. Talk with your healthcare professional about your risk for developing C. Other C. Inflammation of the colon, known as colitis. Severe diarrhea. Serious intestinal condition, such as toxic megacolon.
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Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Page last reviewed: 23 November Next review due: 23 November Clostridium difficile. Symptoms of a Clostridium difficile C. The most common symptoms are: diarrhoea several times a day a high temperature fever loss of appetite feeling sick tummy pain In some cases, you may also have signs of dehydration.
Who's most at risk of a Clostridium difficile C. Treatment for Clostridium difficile C. If the infection is mild, you should be able to recover at home. Treatment for C. Looking after yourself at home If you're well enough to recover from Clostridium difficile C. How you get Clostridium difficile C. How to stop Clostridium difficile C. The following measures can help: stay at home until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have cleared up wash your hands regularly with soap and water, particularly after going to the toilet and before eating — use liquid rather than bar soap clean contaminated surfaces such as the toilet, flush handle, light switches and door handles with a bleach-based cleaner after each use do not share towels and flannels wash contaminated clothes and sheets separately from other washing at the highest possible temperature when visiting someone in hospital, observe any visiting guidelines, avoid taking any children under the age of 12, and wash your hands with liquid soap and water when entering and leaving ward areas — do not rely on alcohol hand gels, as they're not effective against C.
However, if there is an imbalance in your intestines, C. The bacteria start to release toxins that irritate and attack the lining of your intestines. This is what leads to symptoms of a C. The most common risk factor for C. Antibiotics can disrupt the normal balance in your intestines. Your risk increases if you have taken antibiotics for a long period of time or if the antibiotic is broad-spectrum treats a wide variety of bacteria..
People who are 65 years of age or older are at greater risk of a C. Other risk factors include:. Your doctor will need to test a stool sample to diagnose C. Follow-up tests may be needed to confirm. Your doctor may do an X-ray or computerized tomography CT scan of your colon. You can test positive for a C.
This is known as C. Some people are carriers for C. A positive test result plus symptoms indicate that you have an active C. The bacteria can spread person to person. They also live a long time on surfaces, such as toilet seats, telephones, and doorknobs. Good hygiene can help you avoid the bacteria. If you have a C. Use a chlorine bleach-based product to clean surfaces you may have touched to avoid spreading the infection to others.
About 1 in 5 people who have C. If you were taking an antibiotic when your symptoms started, your doctor will probably ask you to stop taking it. They will watch you for dehydration if you have severe diarrhea. For severe cases, your doctor may prescribe a day dose of an antibiotic that has proved effective in treating C.
Examples include metronidazole and vancomycin. You should improve after 72 hours of starting the medicine, although the diarrhea may continue. While you recover, drink plenty of fluids to replace what your body lost due to diarrhea.
Avoid milk products and foods that contain wheat flour or are high in fiber. Your digestive tract may be sensitive to them for a few days. If your infection gets worse, you may become dehydrated or be unable to pass stool.
In rare cases, C. If you have diarrhea and think it could be caused by C.
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