About Urinary Tract Infections

Written by Barbara Green

Urinary tract infections generally affect more women than men because a woman’s anatomy involves a shorter Urethra.

What is a urinary tract infection?

Urinary tract infections are, simply put, infections that occur within the urinary system. The kidneys, bladder, urethra and ureters compose the urinary system. The infection can be located in any one of those areas, but settle more frequently in the bladder or the urethra.

Symptoms

Urinary tract infections can cause a variety of symptoms depending on where in the urinary tract the infection is and the severity of the infection. The symptoms can include fever, a burning or pain during urination, more frequent urination or a feeling of urgency.

The urine can be cloud or smell bad, or you could have a symptom of lower abdominal pain. Urinary tract infections can be very serious if not treated properly. The infections can cause damage to the kidneys that would be irreversible. If left untreated in the early stages the infection can cause the patient to be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotic treatment. So as simple as it sounds, don’t delay treatment of a urinary tract problem.

Occasionally a urinary tract infection will not cause pain but only a slight burning sensation when emptying the bladder. That might even be so slight as to be ignored, but if you notice any sign of blood in the urine go to a doctor immediately.

Causes

Urinary tract infections occur more often in adults, but children can and do have them. The infections happen when bad bacteria in the urinary tract out number the good bacteria.

Many different things can cause a urinary tract infection. The causes include a low urine output which doesn’t wash out the urethras properly. The thinning and drying of the uterus walls of older women can add to the problem and is one reason older women are prone to the disease. Sexual activity can irritate the urethra and cause the infection.

Medical Treatment

If a person gets re-occurring infections over a long term period of time they need to see a medical specialist. Specialists in this field are called urologists. Once a urinary tract infection starts, antibiotics are the treatment of choice.

This happened to me and I just kept going back to my regular physician and he would continue to give me another short term antibiotic. The infections would reoccur about every three months and sometimes more often. It was as if I had a chronic infection that never really went away.

Finally, after nearly two years of repeating the cycle, I asked for a referral to a specialist. The urologist put me on a low grade antibiotic for a year. He said he had found that this usually seemed to ‘shape up’ the bacteria in the urinary tract and end the infections for good. I am about five months into this treatment and haven’t had any problems. I am looking forward to what I hope will be a life without constant infections.

There are several different antibiotics that are normally used for this type of infection. Some seem to work better for one person than others. Amoxicillin, for instance, never worked to clear out the infection for me, but it apparently works great for others.

Other commonly used antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections include Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, and Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim and their generic counterparts. The low dose antibiotic that I was prescribed is Nitrofurantoin. This antibiotic is also used in a stronger dosage as one of the regular treatments for urinary tract infection.

Urinary tract infections can be quite painful. The pain medications that doctors can be prescribe can be specific to this type of pain. These pain killers will often turn the urine a different color, so be prepared. It’s rather a shock to find orange or bright blue urine if you are not expecting it.

Preventative Treatment

There are some things you can use to prevent a urinary tract infection before it gets a foothold in your system. The simplest way to prevent an infection is to drink lots of water, all the time.

Another drink that has proven helpful against urinary tract infections is cranberry juice, preferably the kind of juice without added sugar. Again, you need to drink it regularly for the most benefit.

A daily nutritional supplement called D-Mannose can also help prevent the infections. You can get D-Mannose from any health food store. This natural substance simply makes the urinary tract slick so that the bacteria will slide on through. I used D-Mannose for quite a long while, but if I forgot to take it for a couple of days the infection would come back. You need to take the supplement every day.

Summary

Urinary tract infections are very common, especially in older women. There can be a painful or burning sensation when urinating or a cloudy or different look to the urine. Natural treatments for urinary tract infection include drinking plenty of water or non-sweetened cranberry juice. Medical treatment includes the use of antibiotics.