Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection caused by bacteria in part of the urinary tract. In the lower urinary tract, it is simple cystitis (a bladder infection). In the upper urinary tract, it is a kidney infection. Symptoms from a lower urinary tract infection include painful urination and frequent urination or wanting to urination (or both). Symptoms of a kidney infection include fever and side and back pain. In old people and young children, the symptoms are not always so clear. The main cause for both types is the bacteria Escherichia coli. In rare cases the other bacteria, viruses, or fungus may be the cause of UTI.
Women get urinary tract infections more often than men. Half of women have an infection at some point in their lives. It is common to have repeated infections. Risk factors include sexual intercourse as well as family history. Sometimes a person who had a bladder infection will get a kidney infection. Kidney infection may also, but rarely, be caused by bacteria in the blood.
Sign & Symptoms:
Urinary tract infections don’t always cause signs and symptoms, but when they do they may include:.
Most Common Symptoms of urinary tract infection
Burning or pain during urination.
Frequency of urination and persistent urge to urinate
Fever and malaise.
Foul odor and cloudy urine.
Symptoms due to infection of the urinary bladder (Cystitis)
Lower abdomen discomfort
Frequent, painful urination with small amounts of urine.
Usually low-grade fever without flank pain.
Blood in urine.
Symptoms due to infection of upper urinary tract (Pyelonephritis)
Upper back and flank pain.
High grade fever with chills.
Nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue and general ill-feeling.
Mental changes or confusion in elderly people.
UTIs may be overlooked or mistaken for other conditions in older adults
Important causes of frequent or recurrent urinary tract infections are:
Urinary tract obstruction: Various underlying causes which can lead to obstruction of urinary tract.
Female gender: Because of shorter urethra, women are more susceptible than men to UTI.
Intercourse: Women who are sexually active tend to have more urinary tract infections than women who aren’t sexually active.
Urinary stones: Kidney, ureter or bladder stone can block the flow of urine and increases risk for UTI.
Urinary catheterization: People with indwelling catheters have an increased risk of UTI.
Congenital urinary tract anomalies: Children with congenital urinary tract anomalies such as vesicoureteral reflux (condition in which urine moves backward from the bladder up the ureters) and posterior urethral valve have an increased risk of UTI.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: Men over 60 years are prone to UTI because of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia – BPH).
Suppressed immune systems: Patients with diabetes, HIV or cancer are at higher risk for UTI.
Other causes: Narrowing of the urethra or ureters, tuberculosis of the genito-urinary tract, neurogenic bladder or bladder diverticulum.