overview
- Anatomy of the female urinary system
- Female Urinary System Open popup dialog Male Urinary System Anatomy
- Open Male Urinary System Pop-up Dialog
- A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of your urinary system – your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most infections affect the lower urinary tract – the bladder and urethra.
Women are at higher risk of developing a urinary tract infection than men. Infection confined to your bladder can be painful and bothersome. However, the consequences can be serious if a urinary tract infection spreads to your kidneys. Urinary tract infection Treatment in Nizamabad
Doctors usually treat urinary tract infections with antibiotics. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of getting a urinary tract infection.
symptoms
Urinary tract infections don’t always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do occur they can include:
- A strong and persistent need to urinate
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Frequently passing small amounts of urine
- Urine that looks cloudy
- Urine that appears red, pink, or cola – a sign of blood in the urine
- Strong smelling urine
The reasons
Urinary tract infections usually occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract via the urethra and start to multiply in the bladder. Although the urinary system is designed to prevent such microscopic intruders, these defenses sometimes fail. When this happens, the bacteria can lodge and become a full-blown urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infection Treatment Nizamabad
The most common urinary tract infections occur mainly in women and affect the bladder and urethra.
Cystitis (cystitis). This type of urinary tract infection is usually caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a type of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract (GI). However, sometimes other bacteria are also responsible.
Risk factors
Urinary tract infections are common in women and many women have more than one infection in their lifetime. Women-specific risk factors for urinary tract infections are:
- Female anatomy. A woman has a shorter urethra than a man, which shortens the distance bacteria have to travel to reach the bladder.
- Sexual activity. Sexually active women tend to have more urinary tract infections than women who are not sexually active. Having a new sexual partner also increases your risk.
- Certain types of birth control. Women who use diaphragms for birth control may be at higher risk, as may women who use spermicidal agents.
- Menopause. After menopause, a decrease in circulating estrogen leads to changes in the urinary tract that make you more susceptible to infection.
Complications
With prompt and correct treatment, lower urinary tract infections rarely lead to complications. If left untreated, a urinary tract infection can have serious consequences.
Complications of a urinary tract infection can include:
Recurrent infections, especially in women with two or more UTIs in a period of six months or four or more in a year.
Permanent kidney damage due to acute or chronic kidney infection (pyelonephritis) due to untreated urinary tract infection.
prevention
You can take the following steps to reduce your risk of urinary tract infections:
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Drinking water will help thin your urine and make you urinate more often. This allows bacteria to be flushed out of your urinary tract before infection can start.
- Drink cranberry juice. While studies do not conclude that cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections, they are unlikely to be harmful. Urinary tract infection Treatment Nizamabad
- Wipe front to back. Doing this after urinating and after a bowel movement prevents bacteria in the anal area from spreading to the vagina and urethra.
- Empty your bladder shortly after sex. Also, drink a full glass of water to help flush out bacteria.
- Avoid potentially irritating feminine products. Using deodorant sprays or other feminine products such as showers and powders on the genital area can irritate the urethra.
