Warning Signs Of A C. Difficile Infection

Blood In Stool

Blood in the stool is when an individual observes streaks of blood or dried up blood in their stool after elimination from their body. Individuals who have a C. difficile infection do not usually experience this symptom unless their infection goes untreated and becomes severe. The C. difficile bacteria that colonize the individual's large intestine cause the lining to become inflamed and compromised.

Further damage to the colon tissues ensues when the compromised linings allow food and other bacteria to enter deeper intestinal layers. This produces a more advanced degree of irritation and damage. These deeper layers contain the blood vessels that supply the lining of the large intestine with blood. Raw patches of tissue contain these blood vessels that have busted open or are severed. This allows blood to leak into the contents of the large intestine. The blood may have time to clot into a grainy, black texture before it is eliminated from the body. However, it can also appear as red streaks in the stool.

Loss Of Appetite

Diarrhea due to a C. difficile infection is caused by toxins released by the Clostridium Difficile bacteria that damage the large intestine. The damage to the large intestine most commonly manifests as ulcers or sores that cause pain when coming in contact with food when it moves through the digestive tract. An individual with a C. difficile infection may not want to eat because they feel the movement of food through their digestive tract is too painful. It is common for an individual affected by a C. difficile infection to only eat one meal a day or only eat foods that have been pureed or liquified. Because diarrhea is so frequent in these patients, they may be under the impression that consuming less food will reduce the frequency of painful bowel movements.