When bacteria that normally live in the digestive system or on the skin invade the urinary tract, the result is a urinary tract infection. Women are usually afflicted more frequently by urinary tract infections than men; however, men are also affected. The earlier a urinary tract infection is diagnosed and treated, the fewer the complications that will result. Treatments for urinary tract infections are generally the same in men and women, and the specific type of treatment depends on the severity of the infection.
Drink Plenty of Water
If a bladder infection is very mild, simply drinking large amounts of water may be enough to help the body clear away the infection without additional treatment, explains the Penn State College of Medicine. Even in cases of more severe infections that require additional treatment, drinking large volumes of fluids will also help clear the infection.
Antibiotic Treatments
Urinary tract infections that are more severe often require treatment with antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The most common antibiotics prescribed to treat urinary tract infections include amoxicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, doxycycline and ampicillin. As bacteria gain resistance to the common antibiotics, a new class of drugs called fluoroquinolones has been developed, which include ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and levofloxacin. For men, doctors usually prescribe a course of antibiotics that lasts for seven to 14 days, reports MedlinePlus. Even though the symptoms may disappear after one or two days, it is very important to continue taking all the antibiotics. Otherwise, only some of the bacteria will be killed, and the ones that survive will be more resistant to antibiotics and may cause another, more severe infection, explains MedlinePlus.
Pain Relievers
If the burning sensation during urination is very severe, doctors may prescribe medication to dampen the pain. Instead of common, over-the-counter pain medications, the drug phenazopyridine hydrochloride is used to specifically treat painful urination, according to MedlinePlus. Even though these pain relievers may reduce the symptoms, antibiotics are still required to actually kill the infection.
Hospitalization
If urinary tract infections are not treated early, the infection can spread to the kidneys and cause severe health problems. In cases of severe kidney infection, a patient may have difficulty taking oral medications and drinking fluids. In these cases, hospitalization may be necessary. In the hospital, a patient will receive fluids through an intravenous needle, and receive two to six weeks of antibiotic treatments, reports the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearing House.
Surgery
In rare cases, urinary tract infections may be caused by anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract. In these cases, after antibiotic treatment to kill the bacteria, infections frequently recur. If additional tests reveal that an anatomical abnormality is causing the frequent infections, surgery may be necessary to correct the abnormality, MedlinePlus explains.
References
- Penn State University College of Medicine: Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
- Medline Plus: Urinary Tract Infection - Adults
- National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse:Urinary Tract Infections in Adults
- UCLA Health System: Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Urinary tract infection - Medications
