Passing urine is a natural and effortless process for eliminating body waste. So, if you experience some pain or discomfort when you ease yourself passing urine, it’s probable you could be having a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
You’ll be surprised at how common UTIs are. They affect at least 4 million people in the world every year.
Luckily, UTIs are easily treated with antibiotics. However, recurrence, acute infections, and rarely, death are possible complications.
Because knowledge is prevention, we included everything you need to know about urinary tract infections in this article. Let’s start by telling you what UTI is.
What is a Urinary Tract Infection?
As the name suggests, a urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that causes disease in any part of the urinary system: the urethra, bladder, ureters, or kidneys.
Usually, the bacteria that cause UTIs are from the rectum or the surrounding skin. So, because the urethra is close to the rectum, bacteria can travel easily from one to the other. This tells you why most urinary tract infections occur in the lower parts of the urinary system, the urethra and bladder.
In rare cases, especially when left untreated, UTIs can spread to the upper urinary system: the ureters and the bladder. When this happens, UTIs cause severe disease.
It’s a proven fact that UTIs are more common in women than men. However, anyone, including children, can get a UTI.
Experts classify UTIs according to the area of the urinary system that’s affected. So, there are commonly 3 types of urinary tract infections:
- Urethritis: When the bacterial Infection is in the urethra.
- Cystitis: When the bacteria infect the bladder.
- Pyelonephritis: When the bacterial infection spreads to the kidneys.
So, what does a UTI feel like? Let’s address the symptoms.
UTI Symptoms
The symptoms of UTI can help you know if you have a UTI. Generally, most UTIs manifest in similar symptoms, including the following:
- You feel a burning sensation or pain when passing urine.
- You experience the urge to urinate frequently, even when your bladder is empty.
- You pass small amounts of urine regularly.
- Your urine appears cloudy and has a foul smell.
- You experience discomfort in the pelvic area that feels like pressure in the lower abdomen.
- You have a constant feeling of fatigue.
That said, UTI symptoms can also be unique to the type. Here’s a summary of the different signs of UTI by type.
So, what’s the actual cause of UTIs?
UTI Causes
UTIs happen when bacteria enter the urinary system, multiply, and cause infection. Experts say E. coli (Escherichia coli) is responsible for 80%-90% of UTI-causing bacteria.
Specifically, the common sources of UTI-causing bacteria come from:
- The gut: Bacteria from the gut can travel from the rectum or anus to the urethra to cause infection.
- Sexual activity: Having sex, especially with a new partner, can introduce UTI-causing bacteria into the vagina and the urinary tract. Keep in mind that, while UTIs and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) are different in cause and presentation, the symptoms often coincide.
- Medical devices: Medical procedures in the urethra, such as the insertion of catheters, can introduce bacteria or make the urethra prone to infection.
- Poor hygiene: Including holding urine for long periods and wiping back to front after passing stool for women.
- Urinary retention and obstruction: This creates the condition for bacteria to thrive. Urinary retention can result from medical conditions like kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, and any form of blockage in the lower urinary system.
- A weak immune system: This applies especially to people with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
So, exactly who is at risk of urinary tract infections?
UTI Risk Factors
Experts have established that some people are at a higher risk of contracting UTIs than others. People to whom the following factors and characteristics apply are more likely to develop UTIs :
- Being a woman: If you are a woman, you are more prone to urinary tract infections for two reasons. First, your urethra is closer to the rectum, and second, the urethra is shorter, making it easy for bacteria to travel from the rectum to the urethra and from the urethra to the bladder. In fact, a recent global study found that 96.05% UTIs were recorded in women compared to 77.27% in men.
- Age: Studies show that you are at a higher UTI risk if you are an older man. Generally, age comes with reduced immunity, creating a fertile ground for chronic medical conditions and frequent infections, including UTIs.
- New sex partners: If you get involved with a new sex partner, you may increase your risk of UTI bacterial infection.
- Pregnancy: During pregnancy, a woman undergoes hormonal changes, and the enlarged belly exerts pressure on the bladder. This can slow urine flow and create the right conditions for UTIs.
- Menopause: If you are a menopausal woman, you experience reduced estrogen levels. This can cause thinning of the urinary tract tissues and lower the natural defense for bacterial infection.
- Chronic and preexisting conditions: If you already have a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney stones, or an enlarged prostate, it can negatively affect bladder emptying and create the right conditions for UTIs.
- A susceptible urinary tract: If you’ve had a previous UTI infection or you underwent catheterization, the effects may have left your urinary tract tissues weaker and more prone to urinary tract infections.
- Some Birth Control Methods: Using diaphragms and condoms with spermicidal foam makes you more susceptible to UTIs if you are a woman.
- Abnormal anatomy: If you have a structural abnormality in the urinary system, such as congenital bladder diverticula, you are more prone to harboring bacteria in the urethra and bladder, which increases your risk of recurrent UTIs.
Now that you know the risk factors for UTIs, you can guess that early diagnosis and treatment, and taking preventative measures, are crucial in managing the infection.
But how does your doctor tell that you have a urinary tract infection? Let’s talk about UTI diagnosis.
UTI Diagnosis
If you are wondering how to know if you have a UTI, the best way is to seek a proper medical diagnosis if you notice any of the UTI signs mentioned earlier.
Your healthcare provider will confirm whether or not you have a UTI using one or more of these common UTI diagnostic methods.
Physical examination
The physician asks you questions about your medical history and any presenting symptoms. These questions may focus on your urinary habits, current pains, and past UTI infections. The physician may also perform a physical examination of your urethra.
Urinalysis
This involves a quick screening of your urine sample to detect signs of infection, including the presence of bacteria, blood, or white and red blood cells.
Urine Culture
A lab expert performs a urine culture by growing microbes in your urine sample to detect the type of bacteria causing a UTI. This helps your doctor decide the most effective antibiotic for your case.
Diagnostic Imaging
Clinicians use diagnostic imaging, such as a CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI, to detect non-obvious UTI causes that are hard to detect through urinalysis and physical examination. This is done especially in severe cases of blockage in the urinary tract system.
Cystoscopy
During cystoscopy, the doctor introduces a thin tube with a light at the end (cystoscope) into the urethra and bladder. The tube examines the bladder and urethra for signs of inflammation, infection, bladder stones, blockages, or bladder cancer. Doctors usually use cystoscopy in the diagnosis of recurrent UTI infections, but they can also use it to collect biopsy samples or perform specialized treatments.
Your doctor will follow diagnosis with prompt treatment to prevent complicated UTI, as in the case of kidney infections.
UTI Treatment
Doctors effectively treat most urinary tract infections with antibiotics. UTI treatment with antibiotics is most effective when:
- Treatment is given early.
- The bacterial infection is not severe.
- The patient’s immune system is not compromised.
Below are the details of how UTIs are treated.
Antibiotics for UTI
Experts consider antibiotics the gold standard for UTI treatment. For simple UTIs, your doctor will prescribe drugs such as Bactrim and Bactrim DS (Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole), Cephalexin, Nitrofurantoin, and Fosfomycin.
Also, although doctors don’t prescribe them often due to their side effects, your physician may give a fluoroquinolone antibiotic for complicated UTIs, especially when no other types of drugs are available.
Depending on the severity of the UTI and the type of bacteria, your doctor will direct you to take the antibiotic for 7-14 days.
You will begin to notice relief from the UTI a few days after you start the treatment. However, you should not stop taking the drugs once you notice changes. Instead, be sure to complete your antibiotic dosage. This prevents recurrence of the infection and UTI resistance to drugs.
Pain Relief Drugs
Your doctor may prescribe pain relief drugs alongside the antibiotic to ease discomfort. If necessary, you may also get urinary analgesics to control the burning sensation during urination.
Increased Hydration
It’s a tested fact that frequent urination helps flush out bacteria from the urinary system. As such, your physician will advise you to drink plenty of water and avoid drinks that irritate the bladder, especially those with alcohol and caffeine.
Hospitalization
If your UTI case is complicated, especially if your case involves a kidney infection, your physician may recommend hospitalization. Usually, your treatment while in the hospital will entail intravenous (IV) administration of antibiotics and fluids. This can be followed with oral antibiotics for UTI once you are discharged.
Home Remedies for UTI
As a home remedy for UTI, you can apply warm compresses to the pelvic or abdominal area to help relieve the feeling of pressure and pain.
You can also consider taking cranberry products, like juice and tablets. Some studies suggest that cranberry has properties that can help in the management of UTI. Just keep in mind that, although it is safe to drink cranberry juice, you should first consult with your doctor before you use it as a UTI remedy.
Recurrent UTI Management
If you are one of those people with recurrent UTIs, those that come back multiple times a year, your healthcare provider may recommend one of these UTI management plans:
- Regular low-dose antibiotics: Your doctor may recommend a low dose of an antibiotic daily or every time you are involved in sexual activity.
- Prolonged antibiotic treatment: The doctor will put you on prolonged antibiotic treatment for UTI if you have recurrent episodes or the infection does not clear with a normal course of antibiotics.
- Vaginal estrogen: Your doctor will prescribe this remedy if you are a menopausal woman with recurrent cases of UTI. This is meant to help restore the protective bacteria in the vagina.
- Probiotics: These can you restore vaginal and urinary flora balance.
- Lifestyle change: Lifestyle change in the management of UTI entails regular water intake, urinating before and after sex, and avoiding products that can irritate your urinary system. Adopt these remedies, especially if you have recurrent infections.
While all these methods are key in UTI treatment, the fact remains that prevention is always a preferred measure.
Tips for UTI Prevention
You may not be able to prevent every type of urinary tract infection. Regardless, adopting certain habits can reduce your risk of UTI. Here are some tips on how to prevent UTI, categorized into lifestyle, dietary, and medical UTI prevention measures.
Lifestyle habits for preventing UTI:
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will help flush out UTI-causing bacteria from the urinary tract.
- Empty your bladder regularly. Holding urine can create a favorable environment for bacterial growth.
- Wipe front to back after passing stool. Doing this stops the spread of bacteria from the anus to the urethra, especially when it comes to women.
- Pass urine before and after sex. It will clear bacteria from the urethra that may otherwise be introduced to your partner during sexual activity.
- Wear breathable cotton underwear. These help reduce moisture retention in the private area. Moisture encourages bacterial growth.
- Avoid using harsh products around your genital area. These products can disrupt the natural defense against bacteria. The products include harsh soaps, scented products, and douches.
Dietary preventative measures:
- When nursing a UTI, avoid drinks that can irritate your bladder, including alcoholic, caffeinated, and carbonated drinks.
- Talk to your doctor about adding cranberry juice to your UTI management plan.
- Help maintain a healthy bacterial balance in the vagina and gut by consuming probiotics. These can be found in products such as natural yogurts.
Medical preventive measures:
- Consult your doctor about recurrent UTI management. Doing this is the first step to an efficient UTI management plan, which could include the prescription of preventative antibiotics..
- For menopausal women, talk to your doctor or gynecologist about using vaginal estrogen.
Keep in mind that lifestyle, dietary, and medical UTI preventive measures usually go together.
FAQs
If you still have questions about Urinary tract infections, these commonly asked questions will answer them.
When Should You See a Doctor for UTI?
When to see a doctor for UTI is often determined by the presentation of the symptoms. As a general rule, you should see a doctor with the first signs of a UTI, including a burning sensation when passing urine or foul-smelling urine. See a doctor immediately if your UTI manifests with a fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, pain in the back or side, or blood in the urine, as these can be signs of a kidney infection.
How long does a UTI Last?
You began to notice changes in UTI symptoms as soon as you start the antibiotic treatment. That means you start to feel better, and the UTI symptoms are controlled immediately. The UTI will be cleared by the time you finish the antibiotic treatment. See your doctor immediately if this is not the case.
Can a UTI go away on its own?
Generally, no. While a mild urinary tract infection may improve without treatment by following home remedies, like regular water intake and urination, most UTIs require treatment with an antibiotic to clear completely. Do not wait for a UTI to go away on its own if you have signs of a kidney or bladder infection, including fever, chills, and pain in the back or side.
Quick Summary
Urinary tract infections are a common problem caused by bacteria that goes into the urethra from the anus or surrounding skin.
You will know you have a UTI with the first symptoms, especially a burning sensation when passing urine. A complicated UTI usually signals infection in the kidney and can present with fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, and pain in the back or side.
Your doctor will determine if you have a UTI by conducting a physical exam, urinalysis, urine culture, or, in some cases, diagnostic imaging for causes such as blockages.
Antibiotics are the standard treatment for UTIs.
While home remedies like warm compresses can help with the symptoms, always work with your healthcare provider for an effective UTI prevention and treatment plan.
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