|  | Conditions Treatments | Digestive Health

Pseudomembranous Colitis Symptoms

Pseudomembranous colitis, also known as antibiotic-associated colitis, is a digestive condition that is developed through the use of antibiotics. When someone uses antibiotics, it is possible to disrupt the bacterial balance of the colon. This is largely due to the nature of the medicine, as it cannot discern between "good" and "bad" bacteria. As antibiotics are taken for a given condition, the medicine can kill good bacteria, allowing bad bacteria to run rampant. If this occurs in the colon, it can cause the organ to become inflamed and pseudomembranous colitis to develop in the individual, prompting some very noticeable symptoms.

  1. Diarrhea

    • Most people with pseudomembranous colitis will suffer from diarrhea. The inflammation of the colon causes stool to move at a much faster rate. Normally, the digestive process allows for liquid to be absorbed from the stool as it passes through the large intestines. Since the rate of the process is now more rapid than before, the stool is left in a more watery state.

    Cramping

    • The inflammation characteristic of pseudomembranous colitis can also cause a person to suffer from abdominal cramping. The process of stool elimination involves the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of muscles in the colon. As inflammation sets in, the colon no longer relaxes at the same rate as it contracts. This can cause a person to experience a cramp within the abdominal region of the body.

    Nausea

    • Pseudomembranous colitis might also cause the symptom of nausea. When the bad bacteria experience an overgrowth within the colon, a toxin is released into the system. While this toxin is held within the colon, it can affect the state of his stomach, causing nausea.

    Fever

    • For some people, pseudomembranous colitis means a fever. Typically, this fever will raise a person's body temperature up and beyond 101 degrees F.

    Blood

    • When someone is suffering from pseudomembranous colitis, she may detect blood in her stool. This may be seen as a dark, tarry stool or actual streak of blood in the stool, especially when it is loose and watery. For others, their stool may also have trace amounts of mucus or even pus.

    Dehydration

    • Pseudomembranous colitis can cause some people to suffer dehydration. This symptom goes back to that of diarrhea. If the colon isn't allowed to reabsorb the liquid used during digestion, it will be expelled from the body in a person's stool, potentially causing dehydration, particularly when the condition is left untreated.

Digestive Health - Related Articles