How To Treat E Coli Infection

Prevention Of E Coli Infections

How to Stop E. coli Before It Starts

Prevention of urinary tract infections caused by E. coli involves drinking enough fluids and avoiding contamination of the urethra with stool. Females, for example, should wipe from front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement.

Prevention of E. coli O157:H7 infection involves

Avoiding unpasteurized milk and other dairy products made from unpasteurized milk
Thoroughly cooking beef
Thoroughly washing the hands with soap and running water after using the toilet, changing diapers, and having contact with animals or their environment and before and after preparing or eating food
Not swallowing water when swimming or when playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, or backyard “kiddie” pools

In the United States, improved meat processing procedures have helped reduce the rate of meat contamination.

To prevent spread of infection in day care centers, staff members may group together children who are known to be infected. Or they may ask for proof that the infection is gone before they allow infected children to attend.

How Does E Coli Infection Spread

Although E. coli can be spread by a variety of ways, it is estimated that 85 percent of current E. coli infections are food-borne.

Because the organism lives in the gastrointestinal tract of animals, animal to human transmission is possible. This can occur by direct contact with animals or by consuming contaminated animal products. Meat can become contaminated during slaughter or during processing. Infection can occur from eating contaminated undercooked meat, especially ground beef.

Other known sources of infection include drinking unpasteurized milk and juice, eating contaminated fresh leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce and alfalfa sprouts eating contaminated salami and by swimming in or drinking contaminated sewage water.

Without good hygiene and regular hand washing, E. coli can also be spread by person-to-person contact from bacteria in loose stools in homes, daycare centers, nursing homes and hospitals.

Do I Need To See A Doctor

Yes. Painful urination can be a symptom of a more serious problem. You should tell your doctor about your symptoms and how long youve had them. Tell your doctor about any medical conditions you have, such as diabetes mellitus or AIDS, because these could affect your bodys response to infection. Tell your doctor about any known abnormality in your urinary tract, and if you are or might be pregnant. Tell your doctor if youve had any procedures or surgeries on your urinary tract. He or she also need to know if you were recently hospitalized or stayed in a nursing home.

Recommended Reading: What Medicine Can I Take For Urinary Tract Infection

Recommended Reading: When To See A Doctor For Yeast Infection

How To Treat Intestinal E Coli Infections

For intestinal E. coli infections, what a person doesnt do to treat symptoms is as important as what that person does do. For instance, intestinal E. coli infections caused by Shiga toxinproducing E. coli, or STEC which spurs an estimated 265,000 foodborne infections each year in the United States does not require antibiotic treatment.

In fact, treating these cases with antibiotics can triple your risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome , a complication in which toxins destroy red blood cells, disrupting the kidneys filtering system and possibly causing kidney failure, according to a report published in the journal Toxins.

Its also important not to treat STEC infections with over-the-counter antidiarrheal medication. These, too, can increase your risk of developing HUS, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Antidiarrheal medication slows down the digestive system, which prevents the body from getting rid of the toxins swiftly.

But that doesnt mean theres nothing a person can do to help ease symptoms and feel better. Experts recommend the following supportive therapies that can be done at home to aid recovery from a STEC infection:

Does Sugar Feed E Coli

Sugar does not feed infectious E. coli bacteria in the gut. Almost all the sugar that you eat is absorbed by the small intestine, but infectious E. coli live in the large intestine. Sugar may, however, provide food for E. coli that have infected other parts of the body such as the urinary tract, bloodstream, lungs, or central nervous system.

Don’t Miss: What Doctor Do I See For Yeast Infection

Diagnosis Of E Coli Infections

Culture of samples of urine, stool, or other infected material

Samples of blood, stool, urine, or other infected material are taken and sent to a laboratory to grow the bacteria. Identifying the bacteria in the sample confirms the diagnosis.

If E. coli O157:H7 is suspected, doctors do a stool test for Shiga toxins, which are produced by these bacteria. This test provides results quickly.

If E. coli O157:H7 is detected, blood tests must be done frequently to check for hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

How Did I Get Infected With E Coli

You come into contact and swallow E. coli by eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water or by touching your mouth with your hands that are contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Contaminated foods

Meats: Meats become contaminated with E. coli during the slaughtering process, when E. coli in animal intestines gets onto cuts of meat and especially when meat from more than one animal is ground together. If you eat undercooked meat , you can become infected with E. coli.
Unpasteurized milk: E. coli on a cows udder and/or the milking equipment can get into the milk. Drinking contaminated raw milk can lead to an E. coli infection because it hasnt been heated to kill the bacteria.
Unpasteurized apple cider and other unpasteurized juices.
Soft cheeses made from raw milk.
Fruits and veggies: Crops growing near animal farms can become contaminated when E. coli-containing animal poop combines with rainwater and the runoff enters produce fields and lands on the produce. If you dont thoroughly wash off the produce, E. coli enters your body when you eat these foods.

Contaminated water

E. coli in poop from both animals and humans can end up in all types of water sources including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, wells, swimming pools/kiddie pools and even in local city water supplies that have not been disinfected. If you swallow contaminated water, you could get sick.

Contaminated hands

You May Like: Does Benadryl Help With Tooth Infection

Intestinal E Coli Infections

Escherichia coli are bacteria that are all around you. You can find E. coli everywhere in your environment, including on your skin and in your intestines. Most strains of E. coli are harmless but some strains can make you very sick and can cause sepsis.

Sometimes incorrectly called blood poisoning, sepsis is the bodys life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Sepsis and septic shock can result from an infection anywhere in the body, such as pneumonia, influenza, or urinary tract infections. Worldwide, one-third of people who develop sepsis die. Many who do survive are left with life-changing effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder , chronic pain and fatigue, organ dysfunction , and/or amputations.

Practice Good Sexual Hygiene

Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoiding summer E. coli infection

The also says that sexual intercourse introduces bacteria and other microbes from outside the body to the urinary tract. Practicing good sexual hygiene can help to reduce the number of bacteria that people can transfer during intercourse and other sexual acts.

Examples of good sexual hygiene include:

urinating before and immediately after sex
using barrier contraception, such as a condom
washing the genitals, especially the foreskin, before and after engaging in sexual acts or intercourse
ensuring that sexual partners are aware of any current or previous UTIs

Also Check: Does Melatonin Cause Urinary Retention

Recommended Reading: Antibiotics To Treat Ear Infection In Adults

Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:

Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.

How Can I Prevent E Coli Infections

Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds

After using the bathroom
After contact with animals or their environment

Supervise young children to be sure they properly wash their hands.
Wash your hands more often when someone in your household is sick.
Cook all ground beef and hamburger products to at least 160°F. Do not eat hamburgers if they are pink in the middle.
Prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen by washing hands, cutting boards, countertops, knives, utensils, and surfaces with warm, soapy water after handling raw foods.
Wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables before eating them.
Do not drink unpasteurized milk, juice, or cider.
Clean and disinfect surfaces with household bleach immediately after vomiting or diarrheal accidents.
Dont drink untreated water from lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, or shallow wells.

Healthy Swimming Tips:

Don’t Miss: External Vulvar Cream For Yeast Infection

Try Taking A Probiotic

Introducing a probiotic to your system may help to replenish the naturally occurring, healthy bacteria that live in the gut. It is thought that probiotics may prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract cells, and may also lower the urine Ph, making it less hospitable to harmful bacteria. And, if you have taken an antibiotic to treat a UTI, taking a probiotic is a great way to build up the healthy bacteria that may have been killed during your course of treatment. Probiotics are found in supplement form , or they occur naturally in some types of food, including certain yogurts, kombucha, or kefir.

How Do You Acquire An E Coli Infection

Most intestinal infections occur due to the ingestion of contaminated food or water. Even though forms of E. coli already live in your intestinal tract, ingesting E. coli from sources outside of your body can cause a severe intestinal infection.

Undercooked meat has a reputation for transmitting E. coli to humans, but the bacteria can also be present in:

contaminated soil

bacteremia, in which bacteria enter the bloodstream
meningitis, in which bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier

You May Like: Ear Infection For 3 Months

Tips For Preventing Person

Wash your hands often, and always wash them after bowel movements or changing diapers. If your home has more than one bathroom, restrict the infected person to the use of one bathroom only.
Dispose of soiled diapers and stools carefully. If the infection is suspected in a young child, use disposable diapers instead of cloth diapers until the illness has passed.
Adults should make sure that children who have diarrhea wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom. Children infected with E. coli should avoid contact with other children, particularly during swimming.
Wash handles on toilets and sinks with an antibacterial cleaner.
People who have been diagnosed with E. coli infection should not handle food or work in a daycare centre or other institution until they have tested negative for the bacteria in two stool samples. If you have taken any antibiotic, the stool sample should be taken at least 48 hours after you took the last dose.
Chlorinate water in swimming pools and hot tubs.

What Should I Eat If I Have E Coli

Drink clear fluids for several days. Make sure that some of these fluids are packed with electrolytes, such as broth or soup. Two or three days after the onset of symptoms, diarrhea may ease off. Re-introduce solid foods back into the diet gradually. Bland foods such as rice, toast, and eggs are best. Avoid high-fiber foods, dairy, spicy foods, and fatty foods.

Also Check: What Antibiotics For A Urinary Tract Infection

What Steps Are Involved In Getting A Stool Sample To My Healthcare Provider

Some general instructions for collecting a stool sample at home include:

First, wash your hands with soap and water.
If its possible to urinate before setting up for the stool collection, do so. You dont want to get urine in your stool sample if you can help it.
To collect diarrhea, tape a plastic bag to the toilet seat. You only need to collect a small amount a couple tablespoons.
Place the plastic bag into a clean plastic container and seal with lid.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Write your name and date on the container, place within another bag, wash your hands again and deliver to your healthcare provider on the same day you collect your sample. If you cant deliver your sample immediately, you can store it in your refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Do not collect the sample from the toilet bowl. Do not mix in toilet paper, soap or water.

Foods That Could Contain E Coli

How to avoid an E.Coli infection from flour

Other than the host bacteria multiplying in the body, strains of E. coli can be ingested through different types of foods, causing food poisoning.

There have been cases of E. coli found in green leafy green veggies such as spinach, or in beef. Undercooked hamburgers made at home or bought at a restaurant are known to contain plenty of bacteria tha can create serious E. Coli infections. Veggies that come from farms where the water was contaminated with bacteria are also dangerous.

It is advised always to purchase fresh produce from authorized and safe markets. Also, fruit juice that is not pasteurized is full of germs that could leave serious health consequences.

In order to avoid ingesting contaminated foods, experts recommend thoroughly cooking all types of meat, especially ground meat. Vegetables such as lettuce, onions, and and cucumber, should be washed and scrubbed before consumption, and only pasteurized juices should be chosen.

It is very important that adults take special precautions when preparing meals for children. Cooking and washing foods thoroughly prevents infections, both in the case of E. Coli and other microorganisms, and so does keeping the overall hygiene in the kitchen to good standards.

You May Like: Where To Go For Bladder Infection

How Do You Get Infected

You can become infected when you swallow even a small amount of E. coli bacteria. Among the ways this can happen:

Ground meat: You eat ground meat that carries E. coli, and the meat wasnât cooked enough to kill the bacteria. When meat is processed, sometimes bacteria from the animalsâ intestines make their way into the meat. This happens more with ground meat because it comes from more than one animal.
Untreated milk: You drink unpasteurized milk, which hasnât been heated to kill bacteria. E. coli can get into the milk from the cowâs udder or from milking equipment.
Vegetables and fruit: You might eat fresh vegetables or fruit thatâs been tainted by water that has the bacteria. This happens most often when manure from nearby animals mixes with the water supply.
Other foods and beverages: You might also get E. coli from unpasteurized fruit juices and yogurt and cheese made from raw milk.
Water: You swallow water that contains E. coli, perhaps while swimming in a pool, lake, or pond.
Other people: You might get E. coli from another person who has it, such as a child. The bacteria can be passed to you if you clean up after an infected person and then donât wash your hands really well before you touch your mouth.
Animals: It can be found at petting zoos or animal exhibits at fairs.

You can also contaminate food in your own kitchen if you allow a knife or cutting board that has touched uncooked meat to come into contact with food that will be eaten raw .

E Coli Symptoms: 6 Natural Ways To Help Fight The Infection

Did your stomach start cramping and feeling a bit off after you ate that beef burger? Did you sprint to the bathroom after enjoying that romaine lettuce salad? You may have an intestinal infection caused by E. coli one of the most dreaded foodborne illnesses in the world. Learn more about E. coli and E. coli symptoms below.

Drink Lots Of Clear Fluids

Staying hydrated helps flush E. coli out of your system. Diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dehydration quite quickly, especially in young, elderly, malnourished, and underweight individuals. Drink a lot of clear liquids to stay hydrated, such as water and low sugar electrolyte drinks. Another great choice is ginger ale, as it can help with nausea while it hydrates. Because youre losing so many fluids, the standard eight glasses a day likely isnt enough.

To judge how much fluid you need, look at your urine to ensure youre hydrated enough. Hydrated urine will be either pale yellow or clear, but dehydrated urine will be a darker amber color. A complication that affects around five to ten percent of E. coli cases, most of whom are children, is hemolytic uremic syndrome , a life-threatening kidney complication that occurs from dehydration and decreased urination, and requires immediate medical attention.

Must read