Urinary tract infections are very common; Especially in women, newborns and the elderly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately one in two women and one in 20 men will develop a urinary tract infection in their lifetime.
Kidney and bladder
The kidneys control the amount of water in the blood and filter waste to form urine. Each kidney contains a tube called a ureter that connects the kidney to the bladder. Urine leaves the kidneys through the ureters and enters the bladder. The bladder is the organ responsible for signaling the desire to urinate, and urine exits the body through a tube called the urethra.
The urinary system is an elaborate system that reduces the risk of serious kidney infections by preventing urine from “backflowing” into the kidneys from the bladder. Most cases of urinary tract infections are limited to the bladder, and while they cause symptoms, they are not serious or life-threatening.
The urinary bladder is usually a sterile environment that is cleaned regularly when we urinate. This mechanism helps prevent bacteria from causing infection and inflammation, just like the immune system in our body does when it prevents the spread of germs and bacteria in the body.
Urinary infections occur when bacteria enter the bladder from the outside, through the urethra, and begin to multiply within the urine. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect all parts of the urinary system, including the bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis), or kidneys (kidney infection). Urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics, but they are not always necessary.
Urinary infections
There are two types of infections that affect the urinary tract, the first of which is lower urinary tract infection or cystitis, which occurs when the infection affects the bladder and urethra. The second is upper urinary tract infection or pelvic nephritis. It occurs when the infection spreads upward to reach one or both kidneys. Pelvic nephritis is more serious. Because it can cause kidney damage.
How do you check if it is actually a “urinary tract infection”?
First, a few medical history questions are asked, then a urinalysis and urine culture is performed in the laboratory to determine the bacteria present in the urine, and then treatment is directed more precisely. a few days for the results of the urine culture to appear, if an infection is suspected In the upper urinary tract, ultrasound or
According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), a urinary tract infection can be diagnosed by the following symptoms:
• First – among young people:
– Pain or burning when urinating (dysuria).
– The need to urinate more than usual, especially at night.
– The need to urinate suddenly or more urgently than usual.
– Urine appears cloudy or contains blood.
– Pain in the lower abdomen or pain in the back, just below the ribs.
– High temperature, feeling hot and chills, or temperature that drops below 36 degrees Celsius.
– Urine may be dark or smell bad. If this is your only symptom, it may be due to not drinking enough water.
• Secondly – in children:
– There is a high temperature; The baby feels warmer than usual in the neck, back or abdomen.
– He seems generally ill. Babies and young children may be irritable, not feeding or not eating properly.
– He wets the bed or does it himself.
• Third: In the elderly, the weak or in people who wear a urinary catheter:
For older, frail people with memory, learning, and concentration problems (such as dementia), and for people with a urinary catheter, symptoms of a urinary tract infection may also include:
– Behavior changes, such as acting agitated or confused (delirium).
Wetting yourself (urinary incontinence), which is worse than usual.
– New tremors or tremors in the body.
Causes of infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by bacteria in stool that enter the urinary tract, carrying the bacteria through the tube that carries urine out of the body (urethra).
The most common type of bacteria that causes urinary tract infections is called Escherichia coli, an organism that normally lives in the intestines without causing any harm. However, these bacteria often remain around the anus after passing stool and can move into the bladder.
Urinary tract infections are less common in men than in women; Why the urethra in men is longer than the urethra in women; This makes it more difficult for bacteria to pass into the bladder and is also rare in men under the age of 50.
In women, the urethra is shorter than in men, which means that bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause infections.
The risk of bacteria entering the bladder increases with sex, pregnancy, conditions that block the urinary tract, such as kidney stones, conditions that make it difficult to completely empty the bladder, such as an enlarged prostate in men, constipation in children, and a urinary catheter (a tube in the bladder used to drain urine).
It also occurs when there is a weakness in the immune system; For example in people with diabetes or in people undergoing chemotherapy. It also occurs when you don’t drink enough fluids and don’t keep your genital area clean and dry.
doctor’s consultation
You should visit a doctor when:
– Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) appear for the first time.
– Suffers from severe symptoms; Whether it is a child or a young person, or the patient is pregnant, or elderly and weak in body.
– Symptoms appear after surgery.
– Symptoms get worse or do not improve within two days.
– Return of symptoms after treatment.
The condition can be considered an emergency and urgent and is potentially a serious kidney infection, which can cause sepsis in the following cases:
– High fever or feeling hot and chills.
– A sharp drop in temperature to below 36 degrees Celsius.
– Feeling confused or drowsy.
– Pain in the lower abdomen, back or just under the ribs.
– Seeing blood in the urine.
Chronic urinary tract infection
In some people, symptoms of a urinary tract infection may not go away, short-term antibiotics do not work, and urine tests do not show the presence of an infection, and in this case the most likely diagnosis is an infection of the urinary tract (chronic, long-term) and is caused by bacteria entering the lining of the bladder. Chronic urinary tract infections have a significant impact on the quality of life and require the intervention of a specialist doctor.
Because urine tests don’t always detect infection and symptoms can be similar to other conditions, chronic UTIs can be difficult to diagnose. Here the condition can be treated with antibiotics for a longer period.
treatment
• First – When a urinary tract infection is expected, treatment is carried out as follows:
– Provide self-care advice and recommend pain medications.
– Give a prescription for a short course of antibiotics.
– It is important to take all prescribed medications, even if you feel better.
• Second: Treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections:
Here we mean the reappearance of a urinary tract infection after treatment or the occurrence of this infection twice within 6 months, so we proceed as follows:
– Prescription of a different antibiotic or prescription of a low-dose antibiotic for up to 6 months.
– Women in menopause are prescribed a vaginal cream containing estrogen.
– Further tests and treatments will be conducted by a specialist doctor.
• Third: Measures to relieve symptoms of urinary tract infection:
– Take paracetamol tablets 4 times a day to relieve pain and high fever.
– Children can be given liquid paracetamol.
– Rest and drink enough fluids until clear urine comes out regularly throughout the day.
– Avoid having sex.
Some people drink cranberry drinks and products daily to prevent urinary tract infections, which may help. But there is no evidence that they help relieve symptoms or cure a urinary tract infection if the infection has already started.
– A clinical pharmacist can advise the patient on things that can help them get better, suggesting the best painkiller to take and whether the patient’s condition really warrants a visit to the doctor.
The most common causes are family, social, environmental, behavioral and lack of public hygiene
protection
How do you protect yourself from urinary tract infections?
• First: There are some measures that can be taken to prevent a urinary tract infection (UTI) or prevent one from recurring, including:
– Clean from front to back when you finish the toilet.
– Keep the genital area clean and dry.
– Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, so that you urinate regularly during the day and don’t feel thirsty.
– For women, wash the skin around the vagina with water before and after sexual intercourse.
– Urinate as soon as possible after sexual intercourse for both spouses.
– Change diapers or incontinence pads immediately if they are dirty.
– Do not use scented soap.
– Do not hold urine when you feel the need to urinate.
– Do not rush when urinating and try to empty your bladder completely.
It is advisable not to wear tight synthetic underwear, such as nylon.
– Do not drink alcoholic beverages; Because it could irritate the bladder.
– Don’t eat a lot of sugary foods or drinks; Because it may encourage the growth of bacteria.
– Do not use condoms, vaginal diaphragms or caps that contain lubricants that kill sperm. We recommend the opposite, that is, the use of non-spermicidal lubricants, or the use of a different type of contraceptive.
• Secondly – There are other ways to prevent UTIs from returning, including:
Use the sugar mannose (D-mannose), which is in the form of a powder or tablet to be taken daily, as well as cranberry products, which are available in the form of juice, tablets or capsules to be taken daily.
A pregnant woman should consult her doctor before consuming mannose or cranberries during pregnancy, as they contain a lot of sugar.
If you are taking warfarin, you should avoid cranberry products.
*Community Medicine Consultant
2024-01-06 06:58:35
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