A urinary tract infection should be treated as a serious condition since the infection may spread to your kidneys and cause damage and complications to your entire urinary tract. A report on urinary tract infections by the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse says that infection related to part or all of the urinary tract is the second most prevalent type of infection in the human body. It is estimated that each year, about 8.3 million doctor visits are a result of urinary tract infection.
Description
Urinary tract infections are due to bacteria and may occur at any part of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections have specific names according to the area of the urinary tract that has become infected. The urinary tract consists of the bladder, the kidneys, the ureters and the urethra. Women are more likely to develop a urinary tract infection than men because of the structure of their anatomy. Serious urinary tract infections are associated with infections of the kidneys, for which immediate medical treatment is needed.
Symptoms
According to an article on urinary tract infections by the Mayo Clinic, although not everyone will experience recognizable signs of a urinary tract infection, those who do will develop symptoms rapidly. The most common symptoms of a urinary tract infection include an increase in frequency of urination, burning or painful urination and passing small amounts of urine at a time. Other symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include cloudy or discolored urine or urine that has traces of blood.
Causes
The cause of urinary tract infections is bacteria permeating the urinary tract, typically through the urethra opening. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearing House reports that most urinary tract infections are a result of Escherichia coli (E. coli), which ordinarily exists in the colon. When the bacteria from the colon make their way out near the anus, the chances of them entering the urethra are greater since the distance is not very far.
Complications
Some people are more at risk of developing urinary tract infections than others. If a urinary tract infection goes untreated, the bacterial infection may spread throughout the entire system. Other infections that may occur include bladder infections, ureter infections and chronic kidney infections (acute pyelonephritis). An infection of the kidneys can cause considerable damage and can lead to more severe symptoms. These symptoms include vomiting, nausea, pain in your sides, high fever, shaking and chills.
Treatments
Fortunately, treatments for urinary tract infections are fairly easy to administer. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics that are to be taken for 3 to 14 days without missing a dose. Even if you feel better it is very important that you finish all of the medicine that you have been given or you may risk not killing off the bacteria-causing infection in its entirety. For men, the typical time you'll take antibiotics is 7 to 14 days and for women the time is even shorter, around three days.
