Symptoms and Causes of Urinary Tract Infections
A urinary tract infection (UTI), is an infection that affects any part of the urinary tract, and the urinary parts affected are the kidney, bladder, and ureters. The most common type of infections are bladder or urethra infections.
Research has it that, in the United States of America, statically over 4 million people visited the hospital to be treated by a doctor, due to urinary tract infections annually.
These are the various causes of urinary tract infections
A key factor of urinary tract infection is when the bacteria enters into the urethra and migrates to the bladder, which then causes the speedy growth of UTI infections.
These are the symptoms of urinary tract infections
According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms of UTI are as follows:
• The patient would have a strong and frequent urge to urinate often, even in an instance where the bladder has just been emptied.
• The patient would feel pain or burning while urinating
• The patient would urinate a cloudy or bloody urine
• The patient would either have a pain in the lower abdomen or back, for the females the experience the pain in the pelvic region, and the male experience the pain in the rectal.
• The patient would experience signs of a kidney infection, which would comprise of the various factors below:
1) The patient would have chills or night sweats
2) The patient would start having fever
3) The patient would starts having pain in the side, back or groin area
4) The patient would tend to have flushed or reddened skin
5) The patient would exhibit nausea and vomits
Previous research has shown that, in the elderly, there are mental changes or confusions which are often the only signs of a UTI.
These are the risk factors of urinary tract infection
A. Statically women are more likely to get the UTI than men, the reason why women are more likely to get UTI is because women have a shorter urethra than men do, and theirs is closer to their anus.
B. Sexual activity also increases a women’s risk of having UTI.
C. The drop of estrogen levels that women experience after menopause can also can make urinary tract more vulnerable to infection.
D. Blockages of the urinary tract, such as those that were caused by kidney stone or an enlarged prostate can also block the free flow of urine and increase the risk of UTI.
E. People with an impaired immune system, such as patients that have diabetes and other related health conditions, have a decreased ability to fight off the infection, which invariably increases their risk of UTI.
F. People who have a urinary catheter are also at increased risk of having UTI.
Diagnosis of urinary tract infections
To be able to ascertain or diagnose a UTI, doctors tend to collect a urine sample and test to look out for bacteria or byproducts from bacteria. Also, the doctor has the discretion to perform a urine culture- which last for about 24 to 48 hours. Furthermore, the latter test can be of great help because it helps the doctors to determine which antibiotics are most suitable to treat the infections.
Treatment of urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading to the kidney’s region. Also, it is very important that patients finish their prescribed antibiotics, even if symptoms disappear, because the consequences for not finishing a course of antibiotics may allow the infection to sprung up again. Usually symptoms of a bladder infection go away within a day or two after the administration of the antibiotics.
Also, women with recurrent UTIs may be told to take their antibiotics after sexual activity to prevent UTI infection. More so, longer courses of antibiotics, or stronger doses also may be required for people with recurrent infections.
A more severe infection of the kidneys may require hospital treatment and attention, because hospital treatment involves injecting fluids and antibiotics through a vein. Some patients may need surgery if the infection is caused by a problem with the structure of the urinary tract, according to the NIH.
More often, UTIs in children can be serious due to the fact that, the infection can sometimes affect the growth of the kidneys. Children who have a UTI may be required to have further tests to make sure their urine is not traveling back up into the kidneys.
Prevention of urinary tract infections
There are various ways to prevent UTI, such ways include:
• Ensure you drink plenty of water and urinate immediately after sexual intercourse.
• Women who’ve gone through menopause may use estrogen cream around the vagina to reduce the risks of infection.
Rx Oasis carries OTC treatments such as Azo, cranberry tablets, test to check for UTI and all prescription treatments at very competitive prices for un-insured patients. Contact us at 813-677-6000 for information and prices.
