Urinary tract infection, or UTI, is colonization of microorganisms in the urinary tract in such an amount and such a way that damages or symptoms are produced. When only the urethra and the bladder is affected, it is called lower urinary tract infection. When the ureters and the kidneys are affected, the name used is "upper urinary tract infection".
WHAT CAUSES URINARY TRACT INFECTION
UTI is commonly caused by bacteria that also are present in the normal flora in and around body openings and in the digestive tract, as for example the bacterium Escherichia Coli.
The diseases Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis are normally not called UTI, even though these infections often recide in the turinary tract.
Defects in the urinary system can make a person susceptible for UTI, like strictures or valve-like structures in the urethra and defects causeing reflux from the bladder up through the ureters. Physical damages in the urinary tract can also make it more easy for bacteria to colonize and make infections.
Use of catheters or other instruments in the urinary tract can introduce bacteria and also cause damages that give the bacteria an easy opportunity to infect.
THE SYMPTOMS OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION
UTI can occur acutely with very distinct symptoms. UTI can also develop slowly and chronically with only samll symptoms for a long time.
The symptoms by lower UTI are:
- Itching during urination. - Pain in the bladder region. - Urge to urinate, even though there is little urine in the bladder. - Need to urinate during nights. - Fever, usually mild. - Cloudy urione with a bad smell. - Pus discharged from the urethra or blended with the urine - Sometimes blood in the urine.
By upper urinary tract infection the same symptoms often occure, and in adittion these symptoms will be felt:
- Nausea and voimiting - Pain in the sides of the back and sides of the stomach, at the height of the kidneys, and often downwards towards the bladder region. - Feeling of pressure in the stomach region - High fever with chills and shaking - Strong fatigue
Symptoms of UTI must allways be investigated, especially blood in the urine, since the cause can be a more serious disease.
DIAGNOSIS OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION
UTI is diagnosed by a urine specimen. The specimen is analyzed for substances produces by the disease process, like nitrites, leukocytes or leukocyte esterase. One also performs urine culture to confirm the presence of the bacteria.
When children have been diagnosed with UTI, in is useful to perform urine flow studies and radiologic studies of the urinary tract afterwards to see if there is urin reflux up to the bladder or other abnormalities in the urinary tract. This is sometimes done also by adults if UTI often recur.
STANDARD TREATMENT OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Urinary tract infection is commonly treated with antibiotica, like: trimethoprim, cephalosporins, nitrofurantoin, or a fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin).
Children that have been diagnosed with some urinary tract defect are often given long term treatment with small doses of antibiotics, but recent studies have thrown doubt upon the validity of this regime.
ALTHERNATIVE TREATMENT OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Allthough standard treatment is usually effective, it does no allways manage to beat down a chronic UTI. Treatment with low doses of antibiotics to prevent new outbreaks of UTI can give side effects and is neither allways effective.
ALthernative measures for treatment can therefore be useful in addition to the standard drugs, and the same althernatives can be useful to prevent new outbreaks of UTI.
Cranberry and blueberry can help against UTI by eliminating the bacteria causing UTI. These herbs can be taken as juice or as tea made from dried berries, and they are also found as concentrates in capsules.
The sugar typ D-mannose also seems to help eliminating infectious bacteria from the urinary tract.
Cranberry, blueberry and D-mannose seem to help by sticking to the bacteraia or to the inside lining of the urinary tract and make it difficult for the bacteria to adhere to the inside walls and infect the tissues. Instead the bacteria are flushed out by the urine.
Goldenseal root and Uva ursi also have effects against bacteria infecting the urinary tract.
Remedies that alter the PH of the urine to be more acidic or more alcaline also seem to counteract infectious bacteria. It seems that the bacteria thrive only in a very narrow Ph range. Mineral supplements that contain citrate alter the Ph in an alcaline direction, and can be used for this purpose. Cranberry seems to give a more acidic urine and helps also this way.
Some studies indicate that acupuncture can help to hinder new outbreak of urinary tract infection.
LIFESTYLE MEASURES TO PREVENT URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Many lifestyle measures can be used to prevent the outbreak of UTI and help to cure UTI.
- Wearing clothes that hinders the lower body to get cold is useful by many peoples experience.
- Drinking much water causes the infectious bacteria to be flushed out much easier.
- To urinate after intercourse and cleaning the urethral opening eliminates infectious bacteria transmitted by the sexual act before they can invade the urinary tract.
- Using condomes by anal intercourse can hinder infectious bacteria in the rectum to enter a mans urethra.
- After anal intercourse, vaginal intercourse should be avoided without a good wash first.
- Having a good intimate hygiene, and wiping from the front and backwards by toilet visits can hinder bacteria from entering the urinary tract.
- Warm sitting baths without soap that can irritate can ameliorate the pain during, UTI and may enhance the healing process.
Urinary tract infection is a condition that refers to the infections that occur in the urinary bladder. The mentioned condition is also called cystitis. In some cases the infection of the urinary bladder spreads to the upper tract in the kidney or to the prostate. These problems are called pyelonephritis and prostatitis, depending on the area where they occur.
We should all know the basics on urinary tract infections. That is why we had to explain the two forms of the bladder infection. In cases when the infection occurs and consists of a single episode of bladder infection the condition is caused acute cystitis. Chronic cystitis is a problem that keeps on occurring with only fleeting infection-free periods.
Simple cases, or acute urinary tract infections usually occur in women with ages between 20 and 50 and they are not common among young men.
You should know that even if it commonly affects women this problem can also occur in men and with severe complications too. Among the persons that are at risk for developing these urinary tract infections we have to remember those with conditions that affect the bladder's nerve supply such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries, elderly men and women, pregnant women, someone who's parents had a similar condition, people that have any kind of obstruction that blocks the passage of urine such as tumor, kidney stone or enlarged prostate, persons who use contraceptive diaphragm or spermicidal agents for contraception or persons that use a catheter.
In most of the cases the risks mentioned earlier increase the chance for a simple bladder infection to rapidly progress to a serious kidney infection or sepsis. Sepsis is an infection that enters the bloodstream and affects many organs. More than that, the chances for a premature delivery increase when pregnant women develop kidney infections.
Many of us wonder what causes the urinary tract infections. It is good to know that there is a bacteria that is normally found in the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that this Escherichia coli bacteria causes these problems. Along with Escherichia coli, other bacteria such as staphylococcus, saprophyticus, proteus, klebsiella or enterococcus are believed to cause problems for the bladder.
Later research proved that more and more people get the infection because of two sexually transmitted organisms called Chlamydia trachomatis and mycoplasma.
The reason for because women are more affected by this problem is the size of urethra which is shorter than in men and because the urethral opening is close to the anus and so bacteria from the colon can easily contaminate the urethra.
Both Knut Holt & Groshan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Knut Holt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Dieting and Affiliate Programs. Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. TO FIND products to help for UTI, acne, eczema, rosacea scars, wrinkles, other skin problems, over-weight, hypertension, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, joint pain,hypothyroid. Knut Holt's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
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