What Should I Know About Urinary Tract Infections?

Introduction

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that involves any of the organs found in the urinary tract system. It usually refers to an infection of the bladder.

Distinguishing the Different Types

There are three main types of UTI's depending on the location of the infection. Urethritis is an infection of the urethra. Cystitis is an infection of the bladder. Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidney.

Knowing the Causes

There are many different types of organisms that can cause an UTI but the most common are gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria and sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). Infections involving the bladder and kidney are usually caused by GI bacteria because the urethra is close to the anus. Infections involving the urethra are usually caused by STD's such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or the herpes simplex virus.

Knowing the Risk Factors

There are a number of risk factors for UTI's. The most common are being female, sexual activity, urinary catheters, urinary obstruction, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney transplantation, and polycystic kidney disease.

Recognizing the Symptoms

UTI’s are notorious for being painful and annoying. The symptoms you might experience will depend on the location of the infection and how strong your immune system is. The most common symptoms include a strong and persistent urge to urinate and burning with urination.

Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infections

Diagnosis of a bladder or kidney infection is usually pretty straightforward if you have the classic symptoms. Your doctor may check your urine with a dipstick to look for signs of inflammation (white cells, red cells, and protein). They may send your urine to the lab to see what bacteria is growing in it and if it they are sensitive to standard antibiotics. With urethritis, your doctor may have to take a swab of the urethra and look at it under a microscope.

Treating Urinary Tract Infections

For simple infections, a few days of antibiotics will usually take care of the problem. If the infection involves the kidney and you are not able to keep down food, you may have to go to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and fluids. Patients with weaken immune systems or who “just don't look good” to their doctors may also have to go to the hospital.

Understanding the Complications

Most infections won’t lead to complications if they are treated quickly and properly. Sometimes a kidney infection can form a pocket of pus (called an abscess), which may need to be drained. Prolonged infections of the urethra can lead to scarring and narrowing. Prolonged infections of the kidney can lead to kidney failure.

Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

There are a number of steps you can take to reduce your changes of getting a UTI. Most of them involve trying to keep the bacteria from getting into the bladder or making sure they don't stay there long enough to cause a problem.