Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, send more than 8 million Americans a year to the doctor, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Women are more prone to the infection than men, and about 20 percent of all women will have at least one UTI. Some women are also susceptible to repeated infections, which can become a chronic problem. Of those who have had three UTIs, 80 percent will continue to have recurrent infections.
Causes
A UTI is an infection that occurs anywhere along the urinary tract, which carries urine from the kidneys, where it's made, to the urethra, where it's eliminated from the body. The UTI is caused by anything that allows bacteria to enter and infect the urinary tract, including wiping back to front after a bowel movement, having sex, using a diaphragm or spermicide, using catheters, having diabetes, delaying urination or failing to fully empty the bladder, which can happen because of kidney stones or an enlarged prostate.
Researchers aren't sure why some people are prone to recurrent infections, but they believe that people with repeat UTIs may have vulnerabilities that allow bacteria to more easily attach to the lining of the urinary tract, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Symptoms
Symptoms include urine that smells bad or looks odd, pain during urination, increased need to urinate, reduction in the amount of urine, pressure in the lower abdomen, fever and fatigue. However, some people don't have symptoms. If there is blood in the urine, call a doctor immediately.
UTI's are treated with antibiotics tailored to the particular infection a patient has.
Treatments
A woman who has three or more UTIs in a year has treatment options aimed at preventing additional infections. Doctors may prescribe a daily low-dose antibiotic for six months or longer, antibiotics to be used after sex or a short course of antibiotics to use when symptoms first appear.
Some doctors also recommend using over-the-counter urine tests to quickly diagnose and treat a UTI.
Prevention
Women with recurrent UTIs can help prevent infection by drinking six to eight glasses of water every day, drinking cranberry juice, not holding urine, but instead using the bathroom whenever they need to, wiping from front to back after bowel movements, switching to other forms of birth control if using a condom or spermicide, taking showers instead of baths, cleaning the genital area before sex and the anus and vagina every day, wearing underwear with a cotton crotch and avoiding feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches, which may cause irritation that increases the chance of infection.
Prognosis
UTIs are painful and annoying, but rarely dangerous if treated properly. However, untreated UTIs can lead to kidney infections, which may cause permanent organ damage and hospitalization. UTIs can also cause complications in pregnancy, such as early delivery or high blood pressure.
