What Is Clostridium Difficile (C. Diff)?
You take antibiotics to knock out a bacterial infection. But for some people, these drugs can trigger a potentially life-threatening infection caused by a type of bacteria called clostridium difficile, or C. diff. It can cause colitis, a serious inflammation of the colon.
How Do You Get It?
C. diff bacteria actually exists all around us. It’s in the air, water, soil, and in the feces of humans and animals. Many people have the bacteria in their intestines and never have any symptoms.
The bacteria is often spread in health care facilities, like hospitals or nursing homes, where workers are more likely to come into contact with it, and then with patients or residents.
You can also become infected if you touch clothing, sheets, or other surfaces that have come in contact with feces and then touch your mouth or nose.
Who’s at Risk?
Older adults in health care facilities are most at risk, especially if they’re taking antibiotics. That’s because the human body contains thousands of different types of bacteria -- some good, some bad. If the antibiotics kill enough healthy bacteria, the ones that cause C. diff could grow unchecked and make you sick.
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An increasing number of younger people also develop C. diff infections, even without taking antibiotics or being in a hospital. Failure to wash your handsthoroughly after being exposed to the bacteria can lead to infection.
You also have higher odds of getting C. diff if you’re dealing with a condition such as colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or a weakened immune system caused by cancer treatment or another health problem.
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