Discover urinary tract infection

   Urinary  tract infection(UTI) is an infection of urinary tract which consist of kidney(a pair), ureter (a pair), bladder, and urether. The infection may be bacteria, fungi or viral in nature. Certain practitioner tend to divide UTI into categories depending on the part i.e. bladder(cystitis), kidney(pyelonephritis)  and urethra(urethritis). The commonest type being cystitis i.e. bladder infection.

  The commonest cause of UTI are bacteria in nature and the commonest organism implicated is Eschreichia coli which is a bacterium. The causative organism usually enter through the urethra and ascend to other part of the urinary tract.

Even though there are causative organisms implicated in the cause of UTI, there are risk factors that can increase the chance of developing UTI.

Such risk factors include

ü  having diabetes mellitus

ü  advanced age

ü  Frequent sexual activity, in fact in young sexually active women, the higher the frequency of sexual intercourse the higher the risk of cystitis (bladder infection). This has made entity like “honeymoon cystitis” to appear in medical literature. This was meant to connote the relationship between frequent sexual intercourse during early marriage and frequent UTI.

ü  Premenopausal female are more predisposed than men.

ü  Certain hospital procedure like urinary catherization

ü  Pregnancy

ü  There are others are like kidney stones, women who use diaphragram, HIV infection etc.

Symptoms in adults may be slightly different from children especially very little children. Symptoms in adults include burning sensation during urinating, frequency in urination, abdominal flank pain, cloudy or bloody  urine with foul smell, fever and strong sensation to urinate after the bladder  have been emptied.

 In children symptoms varies widely depending on the age. Younger  children may have urge to vomit or outrightly vomit, diarrhea and poor appetite, fever(or low body temperature) and crying during urinating.

Other children may have abdominal pain and some adult like symptoms. In essence symptoms are not very diagnostically helpful unlike in adults.Especially very small ones, because the symptoms they have are not specific.

Manifestation of symptoms varies in term of severity some individual would not show any symptom others mild while others may be moderate or severe.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is not a Sexual Transmitted Infection( STI) in a strict sense. Certain symptoms of UTI are very similar to STI. So also certain organism implicated in STI can cause UTI  e.g. trichomoninias and candidiasis.

To diagnose UTI, the medical history of the patient is very important in making headway, so also physical examination. Even before laboratory results comes out a presumptive treatment can be started out. The most important investigation is the analysis of the patient’s urine.

Other test done like white cell count plus differential and advanced X-ray like retrograde urethrogram and intravenous pyelogram would help to ascertain the extent of the disease.

Treatment of UTI may be as an out-patient or as an in-patient depending on how sick the patient is. All cases would be treated with oral or intravenous antibiotics. The antibiotics recommended by a physician is very likely to be effective to effect a cure.

There is also possibility of recovery without treatment in uncomplicated cases , however this is not to mean treatment should not be seeked in advent of suspected  UTI.

Note your physician may institute a more aggressive treatment in case of pyelonephritis relative to cystitis or urethritis.

It is necessary antibiotic course should be completed  even when symptoms have disappear in you. This is necessary to avoid development of resistance to the antibiotics by offending organism.

A prompt and well treated UTI is not likely to lead to UTI. However UTI may lead to certain complication especially when adequate and quick medical attention is not given. These include life threatening blood infection (sepsis), kidney damage and premature delivery etc.

Other recommendations that may be necessary and may help include

• Swiping from front to back after using the bathroom especially female.
• Take a pee before and after sexual intercourse
• Use sanitary pad rather than tampon and changing such after using the bathroom.
• Wear absorptive  underwear e.g. those made of cotton may help.
• Reduce caffeine beverage and alcohol
• Retract foreskin of the non-circumscribe male before urinating may be helpful.
• Physician may prescribe oestrogen  vaginal cream to postmenopausal women who may always have recurrent UTI
• Breastfeeding reduce infection in infant, so breastfeeding would help guard infant against UTI
• Cranberry juice or capsules have been suggested to be useful, so also pineapple. However the scientific evidence may not be conclusive on these.

The recommendation above would help especially those individual that have recurrent or frequent UTI. UTI comes with discomfort with varying degree to many patients and if left untreated can lead to complications. It is advised you visit your physician when you perceive any symptom.   

© HealthGUARD 2012