Bladder infections are not serious if treated right away. But they tend to come back in some people. This can lead to kidney infections, which are more serious and may result in permanent kidney damage. So it's very important to treat the underlying causes of a bladder infection and to take preventive steps to keep them from coming back.

Normally, urine is sterile. It is usually free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi but does contain fluids, salts, and waste products. An infection occurs when tiny organisms, usually bacteria from the digestive tract, cling to the opening of the urethra and begin to multiply. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. Most infections arise from one type of bacteria, which normally lives in the colon.

A bladder infection is also called a urinary tract infection (UTI) by most medical people, so if you hear both names, don't get scared or confused. It's a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Although urine contains a variety of fluids. salts, and waste products, it normally does not have bacteria in it. When bacteria get into the bladder and multiply in the urine, it causes a urinary tract infection.

Infections of the urinary tract are the second most common type of infection in the body. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for about 8.3 million doctor visits each year. Women are especially prone to UTIs for reasons that are not yet well understood. One woman in five develops a UTI during her lifetime. UTIs in men are not as common as in women but can be very serious when they do occur.

There are a number of symptoms associated with UTIs. Bladder infections are characterized by an urgent desire to empty the bladder. Symptoms include frequent urination, burning or pain during urination (dysuria), bladder spasms and the feeling of having to urinate even though little or no urine actually comes out. In some cases, you may have cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine, and maybe a mild fever.

In men, a bladder infection is almost always a symptom of an underlying disorder and is generally a cause for concern. Often it indicates the presence of an obstruction that is interfering with the urinary tract. Some studies have shown that uncircumcised boys are at risk of contracting a bladder infection during their first year of life possibly because bacteria may collect under the foreskin.

UTIs occur rarely in children. Around 11% of girls and 4% of boys will have a UTI before they reach the age of 16. However, if children do get a UTI, the effects can be serious, so prompt treatment is important. For further information about urinary tract infections in children, see the 'related articles' section.

Urinary tract infections usually develop first in the lower urinary tract (urethra, bladder) and, if not treated, progress to the upper urinary tract (ureters, kidneys). Bladder infection (cystitis) is by far the most common UTI. Infection of the urethra is called urethritis. Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) requires urgent treatment and can lead to reduced kidney function and possibly even death in untreated, severe cases.

Bacteria that have traveled up the urethra and into the bladder usually cause bladder infections. The most common bacteria associated with bladder infections in women include Escherichia coli (about eighty percent of cases), Staphylococcus saprophyticus , Klebsiella, Enterobacter , and Proteus species. Risk factors include sexual intercourse, use of a diaphragm for birth control, an abnormally short urethra, diabetes or chronic dehydration, the absence of a specific enzyme in vaginal secretions, inadequate personal hygiene and pregnancy.