What Is A Urinary Tract Infection In Adults (UTI)?

UTIs are caused by bacteria entering your urine and traveling up to your bladder. UTIs are responsible for more than 8.1 million visits to the health care provider each year. Around 60% of women will experience at least one UTI in their lifetime, while 12% of men will experience it.

What Is The Urinary Tract?

The urinary tract’s role is to produce and store urine. Your body’s waste product is urine. The kidneys make urine and it travels to the bladder via the ureters. The bladder stores urine and then excretes it through the urethra. This tube connects the bladder to the skin. The opening of the bladder is located at the end penis for males and above the vaginal opening for females.

Kidneys are two organs located in the back. They filter blood and excrete it from the body as urine. The kidneys regulate the blood’s acidity and balance many chemicals (sodium potassium, calcium, and phosphorous). The kidneys also make certain hormones. These hormones control blood pressure and increase red blood cell production. They also help to make strong bones.

Normal urine is free of bacteria, so the one-way flow helps to prevent infections. However, bacteria can still get into the urine via the urethra and reach the bladder. Let’s discuss UTI signs and symptoms below:

Signs

UTIs can cause the bladder and urine lining to become reddened and irritated, just like a cold. You may feel more frequent urination due to irritation. The most common sign is burning or pain while urinating. Sometimes you may feel the urge to urinate, but only a few drops. The bladder can become so irritated it makes it feel like you need to urinate even though you don’t have any urine. Sometimes, your bladder may become irritated and you might leak urine. Your urine may smell foul or cloudy.

Kidney infections can cause fevers and pain in the upper back, usually one side or another. Sometimes, kidney infections can also cause nausea or vomiting. Because kidney infections can spread to the bloodstream, causing serious health issues, it is important to treat them immediately.

Causes

Many bacteria can be found in and around your rectum and vagina. Bacteria can travel to the bladder from the urethra, and may even get into your urine. They can even travel to the kidneys. However, they can still cause problems in the urinary tract.

Because women are less likely to have a UTI than their male counterparts, the distance bacteria have to travel to reach their bladder is shorter in women than it is for men.

These factors can increase your chances of getting a UTI:

The Body Factors

Women who go through menopause may experience a change to the lining of their vagina, which reduces the likelihood of developing a UTI. UTIs can be genetically predisposed in some women. They have more bacteria-friendly urinary tracts. The frequency of UTIs can also be affected by sexual intercourse.

Birth Control

Also, women who use diaphragms are more likely to get UTIs than those who use other methods of birth control. UTIs are also more likely to occur in women who use condoms containing spermicidal cream.

Abnormal Anatomy

If your urinary tract is clogged or you have recently had a device, such as a drain tube, placed in it, you are more likely to develop a UTI. You will have a greater chance of getting a UTI if you can’t urinate as normal due to some kind of blockage.

UTIs can also be caused by anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract. These abnormalities are more common in children, but they can also be found in adults.

Immune System

People with diabetes (high blood sugar), are also at greater risk of developing UTIs. This is because their bodies are not equipped to fight germs.

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