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Clostridium difficile is a type of bacterium that can cause diarrhea and in some cases colitis. It mostly occurs in a hospital with low hygiene levels and place of long term care. The heavy use of antibiotics has been identified as one of the causes of clostridium diarrhea.
Normally, there are certain microorganisms - certain kinds of bacteria and fungi - that naturally occur in the digestive system without causing any harm, and in fact are beneficial for the body. When a person is under going treatment using antibiotics, these healthy microorganisms are also sometimes destroyed along with the bad bacteria as well. As a result, the normal levels of resident bacteria and fungi found in the intestines are upset.
Therefore a drop in the levels of good resident bacteria and fungi allows for the C. difficile bacteria to grow unchecked in the digestive system, causing diarrhea and other problems.
The diarrhea caused can vary between a mild case and some amount of illness right up to the formation of ulcers and bleeding from the colon area. In a worst case scenario there may even be perforation of the intestine and this can be fatal. Generally if you have mild symptoms there is no treatment required and you will get better in a few days, perhaps with the help of some dietary changes. These are the usual dietary recommendations for diarrhea - eat light food, preferably just soups and juices. The danger of dehydration is always present along with diarrhea, so you should be particularly careful about drinking lots of juices and water. If the case is severe then you will have to seek medical help and possibly surgery. There are no home remedies that can stop the growth of the clostridium difficile and self medication is not recommended, so if the problem does not clear up in two or three days, visit a doctor immediately.
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