Urinary Tract Infection
What is Urinary Tract Infection?
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused due to bacterial infusion in the urinary tract, including the bladder and the kidney, of a person. The infection spreads due to the multiplication of bacteria in the urine. The urine composition doesn’t include bacteria, hence they act as an outsider to the system.
It is a very commonly found infection in the world. And, is surprising to known that the percentage of women affected by this infection is very high in comparison to men. The reason behind the fact is not known. But a consideration is here that the harm caused by the infection affecting man is highly dangerous than to affecting woman. Cystitis or bladder infection is a very commonly found infection incomparison to pyelonephritis, a kidney infection.
Kidneys are the most important part of our urinary system that consists several other organs and parts like the ureters, bladder, and urethera. The main function of the kidneys is to exhale out the liquid waste from the body, including blood. The removed waste comes out in the form of urine through the urethera. Other parts do the in-between functioning and store the urine in the body. Hence, if some bacteria strike to some part of the urinary system, they infect the whole system and causes discomfort and pain in the body.
Basically, the bacteria affect due to the incapability of a weak immune system in fighting against them. In addition, there are several other reasons, like usage of unhygeinic toilets or intake of unsufficient amount of water, which causes this infection in the body.
A report shows that around 8.3 million people consult their doctor for this infection only. Some drugs and treatments are there to cure the infection. But on a primary note, every nursing mother is advised to provide good amount of her breastmilk to the baby to make his immune system very strong.
Urine passed by a person in a day or night time depends on the amount of liquid intake in that day. High intake of liquid, mainly water, helps in decreasing the risk of these kind of infections.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection
Symptoms of the infection depend on a person to person and on the body part it is affecting. Basically, some symptoms are common in all cases like:
1. A very irritating and strong urge to urinate. The urge is very disturbing when the body doesn’t have any urine to come out.
2. Mild or sometime very strong pain in the lower abdomen.
Usually, symptoms of bladder and kidney infections are same, inspite of some additions in the kidney’s case.
Distinctively, the symptoms for bladder infection include:
1. A strong urge to urinate many time in day, then also when the amount of urine is very less.
2. Burning sensation in the urethera. The sensation, also known as the urethral meatus,causes pain and dsicomfort in the body of the patient. And, it always increases when the person goes for urination.
3. Frequent urge to urinate in night. The symptom, also known as nocturia, is again a very disturbing ailment of the diseases. The symptom sometime accompany with severe irritation in the urethera.
4. Pain in lower abdomen and in the middle of suprapublic region.
5. In condition when the infection become very severe, one can see blood or pus in the urine or in vaginal discharge (in case of ladies). The condition is very critical because by now the infection has affected the kidneys very badly.
6. Urine passed out can be very smelly due to presence of blood and pus in it.
7. Other than this, the patient can suffer from mild fever and weakness during the infection.
8. The infection is more problematic in case of elder people due to slow functioning of urinary and immune system in their body.
Talking about the symptoms of the kidney infection, one find that the symptoms of the bladder infection are same in this case too. But, certain additions are their. Like:
1. Weakness in the body causing fatigue.
2. Abdominal pain accompanying back and groin pain.
3. In addition to frequent urge of urinate, feeling of vomiting is common.
4. High fever
5. At night, frequent urge to urinate accompanies sweating in the body.
Causes of Urinary Tract Infection
The main cause of the infection is the multiplication of Escherichia coli or E.Coli, a type of bacteria, in the urinary system. The bacteria are basically present in the colon, from where when they travel to the parts of the urinary system causes urinary tract infection.
Urine does not have any microorganism like viruses, bacteria and fungi in its composition. Rather than it only consists salts, fluids, and waste products of the body. So, when the bacteria from the colon enter the urinary system and multiply in the urinary tract, the infection affects the body.
The symptoms and treatments are distinctive according to the part they are affecting, like the bladder or the kidneys.
Other than E.coli, the infection also occurs due to the presence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasma. Women tend to get infected more in comparison to men because the effects of the infection are limited to the urethra and reproductive system.
The body in itself is structured in a way that it can safely guard other organs to get infected by this infection. Still, weak immune system leads to this type of medical complications.
Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection
By examining the symptoms, the doctor diagnoses the patient through urine tests. Simple urine tests indicate the presence of nitrites, proteins or leukocytes and leukocytes esterase. But, the confirmation of urinary tract infection can be only done by culturing the urine sample.
Confirmation of the infection is done through the positive results obtained from the urine culture and by measuring fever and the level of urea in the body. Diagnosis in infants requires imaging technique like a retrograde urethrogram, to study the condition deeply. And, in male diagnosis can be done using x-rays, MRI, and CAT scan.
Negative results from the urine culture sometimes indicate the presence of other infection like Chlamydia trachomatis, interstitial cystitis, and dysuria (in men).
Types of Urinary Tract Infection
Types of this infection can be distinguished by the symptoms and the parts of the urinary system it is affecting Such as:
Pyelonephritis: It happens when the infection affects the kidneys. The symtoms are slightly distinct and might include pain in the upper side of back or in the flank, high temperature, night sweating, weakness in the body like shivering and chilling out, and gradual urge of vomiting.
Cystitis: It occurs in the bladder and indicates its symptoms in the form of pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen, mild fever, and pain in the urination.
Urethritis: It occurs in the urethera and causes burning sensation during urination.
Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection
Antibiotics: Cases which are in their initial stage can be handled by giving oral antibiotics. A very common antibiotic, named trimethoprim, is given in a course of seven day to cure the infection. Some other antibiotics like cephalosporins or nitrofurantoin are recommended if the patient is allergic to some chemicals found in this medicine.
Intravenous antibiotics: Intravenous antibiotics like aminoglycosideare is recommended to the patients having symptoms of pyelonephritis. But, the antibiotic is given along with a beta-lactum, to reduce its side effects in the body.
Imaging technique: If the condition of the patient does not improve by giving antibiotics, then doctors do imaging analysis to detect formation of any abscess in the kidneys.
To treat very complicated infection antibiotics like trimethoprim, cephalosporins and nitrofurantoin are given to the patient.
Treatment in children, generally, takes three days to recover by giving a course of antibiotics. In adults, the duration can extend up to a week time.
A self-treatment program is indicated when the patient is having long-term infection and it may include performing home urine tests by using test sticks, available in chemist shops.
The infection can be transmitted sexually, therfore, doctors recommend some drugs that are needed to be taken after every intercourse.
Prevention from Urinary Tract Infection
The infection occurs mainly in women. So, it is advisable for them to clean their vaginal part after every sexual intercourse. Some opinions are there that cranberry juices decrease the risks of this infection. Acupuncture is found to be very beneficiory in fighting against these infections.
