UTI or the urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection, which is capable of affecting almost any part of the urinary tract. Symptoms of urinary tract infection include frequent urine discharge, burning sensation, pain while passing out urine, etc. It can be very painful and affect the normal life of an individual. Urinary tract infection is more common in women than in men. Acute cystitis is the common type of urinary tract infection that women suffer from and is generally called bladder infection. Pyelonephritis is another kind of urinary tract infection, which is much serious in nature but can be easily treated with antibiotics.
Causes
Escherichia Coli is the agent responsible for causing the infection. Through the urethra, the bacteria from the vagina enter the bladder. These bacteria if not treated on time tend to travel upwards and infect the bladder as well. This makes the situation worse. A delayed treatment can lead to severe infection, which is potent enough to travel up to the kidneys via the ureters. This can cause kidney infection and can be very dangerous. Women are more prone to urinary tract infection as their urethra is much closer to the anus in females rather than males. Sexually active women are more prone to this infection. Also high usage of birth control pills can cause or lead to development of urinary tract infection. Women who have reached the menopausal age are more prone to suffer from urinary tract infection due to low estrogen levels. There are a couple of medical conditions like diabetes, bowel incontinence, pregnancy, surgery, kidney stones, etc., which tend to increase the risk of urinary tract infection.
Symptoms
It is very difficult to find out the symptoms of urinary tract infection in the beginning. Only after certain time duration, these symptoms are noticeable. You must consult a doctor the moment you notice any of these possible symptoms of the infection.
1. Tendency to urinate more often even when the bladder is empty
2. Feeling a burning sensation in the bladder while urinating
3. Discomfort in the lower abdomen region
4. Pressure in the abdomen
5. Pain in the pelvic region and the back
6. Fever
7. Cloudy and foul smelling urine
8. Nausea
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose a urinary tract infection, the doctor might ask you to get certain tests done. You might have to get a sample of your urine tested. The doctor might also diagnose the infection based on the symptom description done by the patient. Several urine tests like urinalysis, clean catch sample, urine culture, etc might be recommended by the doctor. In some extreme cases, ultrasound and X-ray might also be needed.
Treatment
The urinary tract infection can be cured by using simple treatments. It is very essential to consult doctor before you start taking any medication. The doctor is more likely to advise you antibiotic dosages depending on your situation and symptoms. Women suffering from recurring infection are advised to take a dosage of antibiotic post every sexual contact. If the urinary tract infection worsens into a kidney infection, the patient might have to be admitted to the hospital. It is thus recommended to take the infection seriously and take proper medication on the very onslaught.
Prevention
Prevention of the urinary tract infection is not a big deal. Doctors advise women to drink at least 10-12 glasses of water in a day so that the toxins get flushed out, thus decreasing the risk of bacterial growth which might cause the infection. Another thing to be kept in mind is to urinate when the need arises, do not hold the urine for long durations as that might lead to growth of bacteria at a fast rate thus leading to infection. Clean the vaginal area properly, wipe from the backside as well as the front side to avoid bacterial transfer from rectum to the urethra. Women must also avoid wearing tight clothes, nylon panties, or bathing suits for a long duration of time. Such clothing is capable of trapping the moisture, which can aid the bacterial growth resulting in urinary tract infection. A few women use perfume and other feminine sprays in the genital areas, this must be avoided at all costs if you want to avoid catching infection. Cranberry juice and coconut water are said to prevent urinary tract infection by killing the bacteria in the region of the urinary tract. Avoid consuming bladder irritating drinks like caffeine and alcohol.
