Urinary Tract Infection - UTI
The urinary tract:
Before writing about the infection of the urinary tract
it is important to know what the urinary tract is. The urinary tract is made up
of the bladder, the kidneys, the ureter, and the urethra. These are just parts
of the body that are responsible for removing the urine and other liquid body
waste. The kidneys help filter the blood of waste and excess water to form the
urine. This urine then flows down through the Ureters to be stored in the
bladder until they are ready to be removed through the Urethra when you
urinate.
What is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of all or
any part of the urinary tract. It could be infection of the kidneys, the bladder,
the ureter or the urethra. This infection is usually cause by bacteria,
especially the bacteria named E. Coli (Escherichia Coli) and others like
Chlamydia and Mycoplasma.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of UTI?
The most common symptoms of UTI are:
- Pain and burning sensation when urinating
- Cloudy, bloody, or strong smelling urine
- Strong and frequent urge to urinate
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain and muscle aches
- In case of a severely infected kidney the patient may have pain in the upper back
- Fever,
fatigue, shaking chills and mental changes demanding emergency care.
What are the risk factors of
getting UTI?
- Diabetic patients have a high risk, others are
- Inability to empty your bladder during urination
- Blocked urine flow
- Patients carrying urinary catheter
- Pregnant patients
- Patients with suppressed immune system
- The use of spermicides and tampons
- Excess us of antibiotics, because it disrupts natural flora of the urinary tract.
- Sexual irregularity, that is multiple partners or excessive sex
- Holding urine for too long or inability to empty bladder completely
- Enlarge prostate
- Uncircumcised men
- Wiping from back to front after bowel movement, brings bacteria into urethra
- Women gets UTI more often than men
- Older adults have UTI more than younger people.
When to see a doctor for UTI:
You should call your doctor when you experience any of the symptoms with
- Fever and shaking
- Nausea and vomiting
- If you have diabetes
- If you’re pregnant
- Children and elderly
- When taking cancer drugs, on chemotherapy because of suppressed immune system.
How to prevent UTI:
- Drink lots of water daily 6 to 8 ounces to flush out bacteria
- Wipe yourself from front to back after bowel movement
- Urinate before and after sexual intercourse
- Wear clean underwear or pantyhose every day
- Avoid using diaphragm as contraceptive
- Don’t soak in a bath for more than 30 minutes at a time, no bubble bath for kids
- If you’re uncircumcised man, wash your foreskin regularly
Home Remedy for UTI:
- Reduce the intake of processed food, fruit juice, alcohol and sugar
- Use heating pad
- Supplements like Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and zinc to boost immune system
- Probiotics like lactobacillus and acidophilus can help protect against bacteria
- Cranberry juice can help but has not been proven effective
Treatment of UTI:
Contact your doctor for complete diagnosis to rule out other medical problems.
- Doctor will do simple test of urinalysis and urine culture
- Antibiotics are usually ordered to kill the bacteria causing UTI
- You
should finish the antibiotics ordered by the doctor and dispensed by the
Pharmacist. Follow all instructions as directed and report any problems you may
have to your doctor or Pharmacist.
References:
https://www.medicinenet.com/urinary_tract_infection/article.htm
https://medlineplus.gov/urinarytractinfections.html
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In : Health & Medical
Tags: urinary tract uti bladder ureter urethra bacteria e.coli chlamydia
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