A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Although urine contains a variety of fluids, salts, and waste products, it usually does not have bacteria in it. The urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body. Women are more at risk of developing a UTI. Women are more prone to UTIs than males because in females, the urethra is much shorter and closer to the anus than in males.
UTIs are more common in women than they are in men. Around 50% of women will need treatment for at least one UTI during their lifetime.
UTIs occur rarely in children. Around 11% of girls and 4% of boys will have a UTI before they reach the age of 16. However, if children do get a UTI, the effects can be serious, so prompt treatment is important. For further information about urinary tract infections in children, see the 'related articles' section. In up to 50 per cent of cases, there is some form of structural abnormality that predisposes the person to infection. One of the most common is a condition called vesicoureteric reflux, which affects the way the ureters join the bladder, allowing urine to flow back up towards the kidney.
Pregnant women seem more prone to UTIs as other women. ITU rarely occur in children. Nearly 11% of girls and 4% of boys will have a UTI before they are 16. The enlargement of the prostate can also slow the flow of urine, which increases the risk of infection. People with diabetes have a higher risk of a UTI because of changes in the immune system. Any other condition that suppresses the immune system, increasing the risk of a urinar.Various drugs are available to relieve the pain of a UTI. UTIs can be treated with oral antibiotics such as trimethoprim, cephalosporins, nitrofurantoin, or a fluoroquinolone (e.g. ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin).
Symptoms
Symptoms differ, depending on whether the infection affects the lower (bladder and urethra) or upper (kidneys and ureters) parts of the urinary tract.
The symptoms of lower urinary tract infection are dysuria (burning on passing urine), frequency (frequent need to pass urine) and urgency (compelling need to urinate). The urine can be cloudy with an offensive odour. In older men, generalised symptoms such as confusion and incontinence can be present.
Treatment
Phenazopyridine hydrochloride can be used to reduce the burning and urgency associated with cystitis. Acidifiants drugs such ascorbic acid may be recommended to decrease the concentration of bacteria in the urine. The use of low doses of antibiotics on a daily basis may be recommended.
A mild case of cystitis may go away on its own without treatment. Because of the risk of the infection spreading to the kidneys, however, antibiotics are usually recommended. It is important that you finish the entire course of prescribed antibiotics.
In children, cystitis should be treated promptly with antibiotics to protect their developing kidneys. In the elderly, prompt treatment is recommended due to the greater chances of deadly complications.
Your doctor may also suggest a medicine to numb your urinary tract and make you feel better while the antibiotic starts to work. The medicine makes your urine turn bright orange, so don't be alarmed by the color when you urinate.
