A simple UTI when caught early is not that dangerous. However, complications can occur if you can not get rid of it on your own. Be sure to treat it quickly and appropriately. A UTI can quickly spread and infect the kidneys. Kidney infections are a very serious issue, because the sufferer can go into septic shock from such an infection.

UTI's are more common, and occur most often, in women of childbearing age, although they are not unusual in men or children. It is not a condition that very many want to talk about, and most just want to get rid of the infection as quickly as possible.

One out of every five women will develop a UTI during her lifetime. The most probable reason why more women are affected more than men, is that they have a shorter urethra ( the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). It is also easier for bacteria on the outside of the body to travel up through the urethra and reach the bladder. UTI's can also be more dangerous for a pregnant woman to have, so it is really important to seek medical attention promptly.

Men just drain urine better than women, and they have a better flushing system. But, men can develop a UTI, and when they do, it is a more serious issue. Possible causes are from being catheterized for a long time, a urinary stone, or enlarged prostate will be a signal to look for.

The type of bacteria most often involved in the urinary tract is E. coli or staph. This bacteria can actually live in the bladder itself. A UTI develops when there is a lot of this bacteria along with a pooling of urine. Women get a UTI more often for several different reasons such as:

1.Wiping incorrectly after a bowel movement. The correct way is to wipe from front to back, to avoid moving any bacteria toward the urethra.
2.Wiping incorrectly after urinating. The correct way is to wipe from front to back, to avoid spreading any bacteria from the rectum toward the urethra.
3.Not emptying the bladder after sexual activity can increase the level of bacteria, and boost the risk of getting a UTI.
4.Putting off urinating for a long time when feeling the urge to go. This will keep from urine pooling in the bladder too long.

Some of the symptoms of a simple UTI are only minimally uncomfortable or disruptive, while complicated symptoms can be quite severe. The complicated symptoms can cause intense burning while urinating, pain and pressure in the lower abdomen,and feeling the need to go really bad and really often. These symptoms are all hallmarks of having a UTI infection.

Many times the sufferer is so inconvenienced and disrupted by the needed frequency to urinate that they will contact a doctor immediately. They just want to get their normal life back. Some might even feel afraid to leave the restroom until the infection is relieved.

The sufferer may clear up a simple UTI on their own, at the first sign of symptoms, by diluting the pooled urine in the bladder. Simply flush the bladder out with water. However, antibiotics are often needed when the patient can not clear the infection, easily and quickly, on their own in a couple of days. In conjunction with antibiotics analgesics are also available for relief over the counter, like brand names 'Unistat' and 'Azo-Standard', and can be used to help numb the pain, burning, and the urgency of needing to go until the antibiotics begin to take affect.

If the complications of the infection have not noticeably subsided within 24 hours, or if the patient is running a fever, then call the doctor again. There may be a possibility that the antibiotic needs to be changed if the one currently being taken is not having the desired affect on a specific type of bacteria.

Some individuals just seem to have more problems with this recurrent infection. Changing a few daily habits can lower the risk considerably in developing another infection. By far, the best prevention tool of all is keeping yourself well hydrated, by drinking plenty of water. Caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, soda, and alcohol have drying effects on the body, forcing more water out of you. If you are drinking too many of these types of drinks learn to cut them down dramatically and replace them with more water.

There is also a wide variety of healing herbs like akebia, saw palmetto, and sarsaparilla, and healing foods such as cranberries, watermelon, and blueberries that many people swear by in treating this particular infection. Certainly there is no harm in using nature's natural substances if you have had good luck with such strategies in the past.

You can find more natural remedies for a urinary tract infection, along with many other health conditions, as recommended by Mike Adams (The Health Ranger) by going to his newstarget website. Go to the top right of the page and click the drop down arrow beside ReferenceInfo, then go down till you find NutrientReference, click that and look down on the page until you find Common Health Conditions to find the link for urinary tract infection.

The bottom line is this... the simplest and safest technique of all is to flush the bacteria out of the bladder with water. Staying well hydrated for life is the best no-brainer route to take, period.