Urinary Tract Infections

What are the risk factors of Urinary Tract Infections?

A urinary tract infection is an infection that begins in your urinary system. Your urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract - the bladder and the urethra.

Women are at greater risk of developing a urinary tract infection than are men. A urinary tract infection limited to your bladder can be painful and annoying. However, serious consequences can occur if a urinary tract infection spreads to your kidneys.

Some people appear to be more likely than are others to develop urinary tract infections. Risk factors include :

• Being female. Women have a shorter urethra, which cuts down on the distance bacteria must travel to reach the bladder.
• Being sexually active. Women who are sexually active tend to have more urinary tract infections than women who aren't sexually active.
• Using certain types of birth control. Women who use diaphragms for birth control also may be at higher risk, as may women who use spermicidal agents
• Undergoing menopause. After menopause, urinary tract infections may become more common because the lack of estrogen causes changes in the urinary tract that make it more vulnerable to infection.
• Having urinary tract abnormalities. Babies born with urinary tract abnormalities that do not allow urine to leave the body or cause urine to back up in the urethra have an increased risk of urinary tract infections.
• Having blockages in the urinary tract. Kidney stones or an enlarged prostate can trap urine in the bladder and increase the risk of urinary tract infection.
• Having a suppressed immune system. Diabetes and other diseases that impair the immune system - the body's defense against germs - can increase the risk of urinary tract infections.
• Using a catheter to urinate. People who cannot urinate on their own and use a tube (catheter) to urinate have an increased risk of urinary tract infections. This may include people who are hospitalized, people with neurological problems that make it difficult to control their ability to urinate and people who are paralyzed

• What cause Urinary Tract Infections?

  Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. Although the urinary system is designed to keep out such microscopic invaders, the defenses sometimes fail. When that happens, bacteria may take hold and grow into a full-blown infection in the urinary tract.

  The most common urinary tract infections occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra.

• Infection of the bladder (cystitis) is usually caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a species of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract. Sexual intercourse may lead to cystitis, but you do not have to be sexually active to develop it. All women are susceptible to cystitis because of their anatomy - specifically, the close proximity of the urethra to the anus and the short distance from the urethral opening to the bladder.
• Infection of the urethra (urethritis) can occur when gastrointestinal bacteria spread from the anus to the urethra. In addition, because of the female urethra's proximity to the vagina, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as herpes, gonorrhea and chlamydia, also are possible causes of urethritis.

• What are the symptoms associated with Urinary Tract Infections?

  Urinary tract infections do not always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do they can include :

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
• Urine that appears cloudy
• Urine that appears bright pink or cola colored - a sign of blood in the urine
• Strong - smelling urine
• Pelvic pain, in women
• Rectal pain, in men

• How are Urinary Tract Infections diagnosed?

  Tests and procedures used to diagnose urinary tract infections include:

• Analyzing a urine sample. To avoid potential contamination of the sample, you may be instructed to first wipe your genital area with an antiseptic pad and to collect the urine midstream.
• Growing urinary tract bacteria in a lab. Laboratory analysis of the urine is sometimes followed by a urine culture — a test that uses your urine sample to grow bacteria in a lab. This test tells your doctor what bacteria are causing your infection and which medications will be most effective.
• Creating images of your urinary tract. If your doctor suspects that an abnormality in your urinary tract is causing frequent infections, you may undergo tests to create images of your urinary tract using ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT). Another test called an intravenous urinary pyelogram uses X-rays to create images. During this test, a dye is injected into a vein in your arm and X-rays are taken of your urinary tract. The dye highlights your bladder and urethra and allows your doctor to determine if you have any abnormalities that slow urine from leaving your body.
• Using a scope to see inside your bladder. If you have recurrent urinary tract infections, your doctor may use a long, thin tube with a lens (cystoscope) to see inside your urethra and bladder. The cystoscope is inserted in your urethra and passed through to your bladder. This procedure is called cystoscopy.

• How are Urinary Tract Infections treated?

  Antibiotics are typically used to treat urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacterium found in your urine.

  Simple infection

  Usually, symptoms clear up within a few days of treatment. But you may need to continue antibiotics for a week or more. Take the entire course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor to ensure that the infection is completely eradicated.

  For an uncomplicated urinary tract infection that occurs when you are otherwise healthy, your doctor may recommend a shorter course of treatment, such as taking an antibiotic for one to three days. But whether this short course of treatment is adequate to treat your infection depends on your particular symptoms and medical history.

  Your doctor may also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs your bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating. One common side effect of urinary tract analgesics is discolored urine — orange or red.

  Frequent infections

  If you experience frequent urinary tract infections, your doctor may recommend a longer course of antibiotic treatment or a program with short courses of antibiotics at the outset of your urinary symptoms.

  Your doctor may also recommend taking home urine tests, in which you dip a test stick into a urine sample.

  For infections related to sexual activity, your doctor may recommend taking a single dose of antibiotic after sexual intercourse.

  If you are postmenopausal, your doctor may recommend vaginal estrogen therapy to minimize your chance of recurrent urinary tract infections.

  Severe infection

  For severe urinary tract infections, hospitalization and treatment with intravenous antibiotics may be necessary.