Though commonplace, with 8 million cases diagnosed every year, half of which require hospitalization, UTI can be easily avoided or treated. June 23, 2009, (Sawf News) - UTI is an infection of the urinary system comprising of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra but generally involves the lower urinary tract: urethra and bladder.
It typically occurs when bacteria enters the urinary tract through the urethra and begins to multiply in the bladder. According to a study 30-50% of all women have at least one UTI in their lifetime.
Dr. Donnica Moore, editor and chief of Women’s Health for Life explains that UTIs are more common in women than men because men's urethra is safely closed and well protected from other body parts whereas a women’s urethra (the outlet for the urine) is very close to vagina. As a result, gastrointestinal bacteria (E.coli) can easily enter from the anus into the urethra.
Also, women’s urethra is very short as compared to a man’s urethra which cuts down on the distance bacteria has to travel to reach the bladder.
This infection can develop in men also but that is generally limited to elderly men or those who have had some kind of hospitalization and catheter was used.
Different age groups of women can get this infection due to different reasons, says Dr. Moore.
Little girls can get UTI due to poor body hygiene, therefore it is important to teach your daughters to wipe front to back.
Young women get it usually due to sexual relationship, either first intercourse or frequent intercourse.
Menopausal women or older women can get UTI due to estrogen deficiency (tissues of the vagina, urethra and the base of the bladder become thinner and more fragile due to deficiency of estrogen) and in much older women it’s back to hygiene issues.
UTI is more frequent in pregnancies and can become dangerous if allowed to get out of control, increasing the risk of low birth weight or premature babies.
Such infections can also be dangerous in patients who are diabetic, since the condition impairs the immune system.
Untreated UTI can lead to acute or chronic kidney infections (pyelonephritis), which could permanently damage the kidneys.
The general symptoms of UTI are:
- * A strong, persistent urge to urinate
- * A burning sensation when urinating
- * Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
- * Blood in the urine or strong-smelling urine
- * Bacteria in the urine (bacteriuria)
UTI can be best detected by performing a urine culture to ensure that it’s bacteria which is causing it and not some other infection.
Though antibiotics are a typical treatment for UTI, precautions should be taken to prevent them in the first place. Doctors’ might also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs the bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating.
Some common home remedies to prevent UTI are drinking plenty of water to dilute the urine and flush out bacteria or using a heating pad on the abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort. Avoiding use of deodorant sprays or other feminine products in the genital areas can also help in preventing UTI.
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