Symptoms E.coli

SYMPTOMS OF E.COLI

Symptoms of E.coli. A type of bacterium called E. coli can infect your urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and other areas of your body. It can usually survive in your stomach without causing you any harm. However, some strains might cause fever, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. The most likely to cause serious illness is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

SYMPTOMS OF E.COLI

A type of bacteria known as Escherichia coli (E. coli) typically inhabits the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) of both healthy humans and animals. The kind that inhabits your gastrointestinal/GI tract typically does not harm you; in fact, it aids in food digestion. However, there are numerous strains (types) of E. coli that might cause illness in specific situations. Numerous infection-causing strains have the ability to cling to your cells and release poisons.

Symptoms

Coli gastroenteritis symptoms include:

Diarrhea. This is frequently watery and even bloody.
cramping and pain in the stomach.

appetite loss.
minimal fever.
The initial sign of an E. coli infection in the gastrointestinal tract is typically watery diarrhea. Additionally, the symptoms you experience can vary according on the location of the infection.

How can one be infected?

consuming tainted food. This includes uncooked fruits and vegetables that haven’t been thoroughly cleaned, as well as undercooked meat.
drinking drinks that have not been pasteurized. Milk, cider, and juice (as well as products manufactured from them, such as cheese or ice cream) fall under this category.
getting tainted water in your mouth or drinking it. Swimming pools, untreated drinking water, and natural water sources (such as lakes, streams, and rivers) can all become contaminated with E. coli found in human and animal waste.

touching contaminated surfaces or excrement. Changing diapers, cleaning up after a bowel movement, handling farm or zoo animals, and exchanging items or surfaces with someone who has an E. coli infection can all result in poop on your hands. When E. Coli moves from your hands to your mouth, it might be swallowed.
improperly wiping after using the restroom. A UTI may result from this transfer of E. coli from your feces to your urinary tract.

Treatment

Frequently, E. coli infections that result in digestive symptoms don’t require treatment. In particular, medical professionals do not use antibiotics or antidiarrheal medications to treat STEC. If you have STEC, these drugs may raise your chance of developing HUS. Rather, they will keep an eye on your health and, if necessary, administer fluids to keep you from becoming dehydrated.

However, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics if you have a severe case of sepsis, meningitis, or a UTI, or if you have another kind of E. coli infection.

Prevention

both before and after handling raw meat or poultry, as well as after cooking.
following a bathroom break, diaper change, or animal encounter.
By following safe food preparation practices, you can also lower your risk of contracting an E. coli infection:

Avoid drinking unpasteurized cider or milk.
Before consuming any raw fruits or vegetables, rinse them under running water.
Avoid leaving unopened frozen meat on the counter to thaw. When thawing, store frozen meat in a different plastic bag.

Summary

One of the several bacteria that can survive in our bodies without causing us any harm is E. coli. However, some strains can cause illness, particularly if they enter areas they shouldn’t be. A lot of E. Coli infections are self-resolving. If your symptoms are severe or last for more than a few days, consult your healthcare physician.