After fighting a battle with the neurological condition for almost two years Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan was admitted to hospital due to colon infection. He was admitted to ICU because of this infection and died. Check out what is colon infection, its causes, and treatment as well.
What is a colon infection?
It is a chronic digestive disease that refers to the inflammation of the inner lining of the colon. It is termed as colitis. There are various causes of colitis including infection, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ischemic colitis, allergic reactions, and microscopic colitis. It can be caused due to various health problems.
Causes of colon infection?
Colon infections can be caused by pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and parasites. If a person has infected colon, they might have diarrhea, fever and stool samples tested positive for pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, etc. Common causes of such pathogens entering the body include contraction from contaminated water, food, or poor hygiene.
One more cause of colon infection includes inflammatory bowel disease. These are a group of diseases that cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Other causes of a colon infection can include allergies, drug-induced colitis, etc.
Although colon inflammation is largely a result of viral and bacterial infections, sometimes, a colon can also be compromised after an operation or surgery, or be resultant of cancer complications.
Symptoms of colon infection:
Fever
-Diarrhea with or without blood
– Nausea
– Abdominal pain and cramping
– Weight loss
– Fatigue
– Bloating
– The urgency to have a bowel movement
– Intense pain
– Depression
– Aches and pains in the joints
– Loss of appetite
Swelling of the colon tissue
– Tenderness in the abdomen
– Joint swelling
– Dehydration
– Eye inflammation
If you are suffering from cancer and undergoing certain treatments for cancer, like chemotherapy, this can put you at a higher risk of developing an infection and sepsis. This happens because, after chemotherapy, the body’s immunity lowers down. If the level of white blood cells is low, a person is more likely to catch or develop infections.
Can colon infection be deadly?
Though, there are fewer chances for a colon infection to be fatal. But in rare cases where the colon infection is a sign of colon cancer, the condition can be fatal. Treatment of colon infection depends on the cause, some common ones are:
- anti-inflammatory drugs
- anti-diarrhea drugs
- antibiotics
- dietary supplements like vitamin D, iron, etc.
