Colon Infection Causes

Colon Infection Causes

The colon forms the last section of the digestive system and it is responsible for eliminating waste, salts and water from hard material (foods) that have been digested. It is obvious that the colon plays a key part in the functioning of the body and as a result it is essential that the colon is healthy and functioning well. There are times, however, when your colon can become infected and this can lead to painful and often severe health problems.

What are the Main Colon Infection Causes?

Your colon can get infected when particular strains of bacteria manage to get inside the colon and start to attack it. As the colon contains around 70% of the body’s immune system, it is normally very tough and can easily kill off most bacteria that enter it. However, sometimes the bacteria are too strong for the immune system to work and this can lead to an infection.

Bacteria are present all around us and can get inside the colon by different means. Harmful bacteria can be consumed in food, drunk in contaminated water, passed on through being in contact with someone who is ill themselves and so on. Hospital beds, bedpans, toilet seat, furniture, jewellery all can be carriers of bacteria. It may not be possible to avoid most of the above completely and this is why it is important to understand more about colon infection causes.

Clostridium Difficile

Clostridium difficile or C-diff is a germ that is commonly found in hospitals and nursing homes and it can be very hard to treat. It is found inside the colon and spreads from one person to another via spores that are found within feces. One of the reasons why this is hard to treat is because, it is resistant to traditional household cleaners and it will spread very quickly. Even taking antibiotics does not really help as these will kill any good bacteria in the colon. Good bacteria normally suppress C diff from becoming active. Colon infection causes pain, cramping, fever, chills, extreme tenderness in the abdomen and diarrhea.

Abscesses

Abscesses or Diverticulitis is another of the common colon infection causes. These occur when an area of the colon swells and starts to fill with pus. Over time this will start to affect the tissue within the colon and gradually destroy it. Abscesses can grow very large and this can lead to further complications such as peritonitis which is when the infection starts to spread outside the colon. A common symptom of colon abscesses is pain in the abdomen, fever, nausea and vomiting.

It pays to understand colon infection causes so that you can avoid becoming ill. There are things that you can do to protect yourself and colon cleanse is something you would want to consider. These are products that work to clean out the colon and encourage the production of health bacteria. When used regularly you can really help to reduce the causes of colon infections and keep your colon in excellent health.