Causes and symptoms of clostridium difficile colitis

Clostridium difficile is also known as C. difficile in short. There are bacteria that cause swelling and irritation of the large intestine or colon. The inflammation that is caused by these bacteria is called colitis. Though it is a common infection and not hard to cure, many Americans have lost their lives to this infection therefore making it important to know what causes it and how one can prevent and treat it.

The most common symptoms of clostridium difficile colitis are diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps which can be cured by antibiotics. Antibiotics, however, are one of the main causes of this disease as they kill the good bacteria along with the bad ones making clostridium difficile active and taking control by releasing toxins in the large intestine. The antibiotics used to cure clostridium difficile colitis are different from the ones that caused it.

C. difficile bacteria are present everywhere in the environment around you. They can be found in soil, air, water, human, and animal waste and even in some food products, such as, meat that is processed. Some people naturally carry the bacteria without any trouble, these people are usually healthy as only a healthy body can have this bacteria present in their large intestine without any trouble or ill effects.

Lack of hygiene is one of the most common reasons people face this problem. It is also contagious as it can easily get passed on from person to person when common hygiene is not practiced. Infected people can pass it on to others by coming in contact with them after using the restroom without washing their hands.

Health care facility like hospitals and clinics are places where people can get infected with this disease in case of improper hygiene methods. The risk of getting infected by clostridium difficile colitis rises if one is already suffering from inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer. People with low immunity catch many diseases easily inkling C. difficile.

Symptoms of C. difficile vary from mild to severe depending on the depth of the infection. In most cases, this infection is mild and shows mild symptoms such as diarrhea for a few days, abdominal aches, cramps, and even tenderness in the abdominal area. Severe infection gives symptoms like watery diarrhea of 1015 times in a day, abdominal cramps, rapid heart rate, fever, blood and/or pus in stool, nausea, dehydration, and other such problems.

When more than one such symptoms occur, take it to a doctor so you can start the treatment in case you are infected with C. difficile.

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  • Storage ideas for the kitchen

    If yours is a home with regular home-cooked meals, then the kitchen is perhaps one of those high-traffic zones, with lots of storage requirements, and easily prone to clutter. Not surprisingly, therefore, kitchen often pose the biggest challenge to decor and design.

    Today’s modular kitchens do provide you with wall-to-wall, ceiling-high cabinets with tons of storage, but this might still not suit everyone’s taste. For example, you might want more light and movement in your kitchen. You might find the cabinets too opaque or boxy, making your kitchen look boring and bland.

    The stiff challenge is when you want all the storage space, but without the boring look of most modular kitchens. Consider some of these ideas, and see what might work in your kitchen.

    Open shelves We are not suggesting that you do away with cabinets altogether, but you would do well to consider a nice balance between covered cabinets and open shelves. Perhaps just a few, to display some pretty cookware, or to place frequently used ones for easy reach. Open shelves also make the kitchen look more open and bright.

    Glass panes for cabinets Replace opaque doors with glass doors on your cabinets. The interior could be painted a bright, contrasting color to make it interesting. A few cabinets could even have pot lights installed inside, making them both practical and pretty. Very small kitchens will also do well to have mirror-finish doors on the cabinets for a roomier appearance.

    Sideboards If space allows it, sideboards are great addition to your dining area, even if this is only a corner in your kitchen. Get a classic, retro sideboard for your crockery, add a touch of class to your kitchen while finding more storage space. Sideboards change the entire look of your kitchen and can change the boring kitchen into a

    While planning the cabinets below the counter-top, ensure corners don’t go waste corner cabinets are a must if you want to do justice to the space afforded by your kitchen. Also, some of your pots and pans don’t really need to be hidden in shelves. Consider creating a hanging-display over the island or the counter-top. Especially if you have old-style copper cookware, this arrangement can lend a charming look to your kitchen, while opening up tons of shelf space for other items.

    Whatever you do, remember that the countertop is not storage space. However constrained you are for space in the kitchen, you will do well to remember that classy, well-kept kitchen have clean, bare countertops. Nothing screams clutter like appliances lined up on the countertop.

  • 4 common sexual conditions and their symptoms

    Sexual conditions or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) generally affect a person through sexual contact. STDs are caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses, which mainly enter the body through semen, blood, or other bodily fluids. They can enter the body non-sexually too; for instance, an affected person’s blood is used during a transfusion or if they share a needle with a person who has any form of STD. Herein, we discuss the various symptoms of a few sexual conditions.

    Symptoms
    STDs may have a range of symptoms or no signs at all. It mainly depends on the type of STD one may have. Here is a list of some common forms of sexual conditions and their symptoms.

    • Chlamydia
      It is a bacterial infection that affects the genital tract. The symptoms may start to show a few weeks after the exposure. The most common symptoms include painful urination, abdominal pain, discharge from the penis, pain during intercourse for women, and testicular pain.
    • Gonorrhea
      This is another bacterial infection that affects the genital tract, mouth, eyes, throat, and anus. Sometimes, the symptoms may take 10 days to show, or even months. The common symptoms of gonorrhea are thick or bloody discharge from the vagina or penis, burning sensation or pain during urination, heavy menstrual bleeding, swollen testicles that pains, painful bowel movements, and anal itching.
    • Trichomoniasis
      Also referred to as Trichomonas vaginalis, this condition is caused due to a one-celled parasite. It occurs if one has intercourse with an infected person. It often does not cause any kind of symptom, and even if it does then that may take up to a month. The symptoms include clear, yellowish, white, or greenish vaginal discharge, discharge from the penis, strong vaginal odor, vaginal irritation or itching, itching inside the penis, pain during intercourse, and painful urination.
    • HIV
      It is one of the most serious sexual conditions and it is caused by a virus that makes the immune system weaker. HIV can lead to AIDS, which is a life-threatening disease. The beginning stage of HIV does not have any clear symptoms. The main symptoms a patient may experience are fever, headache, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, rash, and fatigue. As these are common symptoms of many other medical conditions, they may get ignored. The best way of detecting this disease early is by getting tested. During the later stages of the disease, one may experience other more serious symptoms including diarrhea, weight loss, fever, cough, and breathing difficulties.

    Causes

    Sexual conditions have different causes. They can be a result of certain viruses like human papillomavirus, HIV, and genital herpes. Sexual diseases may also be caused by parasites like trichomoniasis and bacteria like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis. These spread during sexual activities. There are a few STDs that may occur without any sexual contact, including hepatitis A, B, and C; viruses; Giardia intestinalis; and shigella.

    Risk factors

    The risk factors for STDs include unprotected sex, having multiple partners, a history of STI, sharing needles, and blood transfusion.

    The best way to avoid sexual conditions is to go for regular STD/STI screenings. As many of these diseases do not show any early signs, only the screening can diagnose them early.

  • Here’s what you need to know about Symbicort inhalers 

    In many patients, chronic asthma reaches a stage when the normal medicines used, cease to have any perceptive effect. It has become obstinate or refractory. Symbicort Inhalers are recommended for use in such patients. It is a combination of two drugs, a corticosteroid – Budesonide and long acting beta2 adrenergic agonist – Formoterol.

    Symbicort is basically a controller medication and it cannot be discontinued just because the symptoms are somewhat diminishing. This medication has to be continued as long as the doctor determines that the asthma is under control and the medicine can be withdrawn. Symbicort Inhalers are neither rescue medication that can be used in an exacerbation. The patient should clearly understand the role the medicine plays in the asthma treatment regime.

    The recommended dose is two puffs in the morning and two in the night as directed by the physician. It is imperative that neither the medication is missed nor over done. The corticosteroid- budesonide reduces the inflammation while the beta2 adrenergic agonist – Formoterol relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi. Long acting beta agonist, LABA as a group has a side kick that can set up sudden flare ups and if not attended to properly in time can be fatal. It is not known if budesonide can counter the highly unwanted side reaction of Formoterol at all.

    Astra Zeneca, the manufacturer of symbicort has supplied a detailed medication guide that comes with the prescription. Users should understand the guide and clarify all their doubts before starting to use the inhaler. This inhaler can set up a sudden flare up of symptoms. One should get emergency medical help if the breathing problem suddenly worsens and the rescue inhalers do not give relief. Medication guide gives the details about how to use the inhaler, its cleaning, and storage method and other such useful information. What is worthy of note is the actuation counter which gives the count of the number of application remaining. It has a colored area which intimates the user that it is time to order new canister.

    Symbicort inhalers Spiriva are two different products having different medication. Their usage is also somewhat different.Tag: Symbicort Inhalers, Symbicort Inhalers Spiriva