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.