Causes Of Urinary Tract Infections
UTIs are usually caused by bacteria from poo entering the urinary tract.
The bacteria enter through the tube that carries pee out of the body .
Women have a shorter urethra than men. This means bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection.
Things that increase the risk of bacteria getting into the bladder include:
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do not use scented soap
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do not hold your pee in if you feel the urge to go
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do not rush when going for a pee try to fully empty your bladder
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do not wear tight, synthetic underwear, such as nylon
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do not drink lots of alcoholic drinks, as they may irritate your bladder
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do not have lots of sugary food or drinks, as they may encourage bacteria to grow
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do not use condoms or diaphragms with spermicidal lube on them try non-spermicidal lube or a different type of contraception
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How Do You Get Urinary Tract Infections
The design of the human body makes it so it isnt hard to get a bacterial UTI, because the infection comes from outside, through the urethra. Bacteria in the genital area can enter the urethra and the urinary tract, either because wiping after going to the bathroom, sexual activity, or unsanitary conditions. Once the bacteria have entered the urethra, the body tries fight them off, but sometimes the bacteria multiply and cause an infection.
In the case of a fungal infection, usually the fungus gets to the urinary tract through the blood stream. Those who develop this type of infection are usually ill with a disease that has compromised their immune system, such as AIDS.
In general, women get more UTIs than do men and this increases with age. Statistics show that many women get more than one. Almost 20% of women who have had one UTI will go on to have a second. Of this 20%, 30% of those will have a third, and in turn, 80% of these women will have more.
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What Are The Types Of Utis
UTIs are categorized into two types.
Complicated UTIs refer to infections associated with another condition. Often, that underlying condition makes the UTI worse because it may involve pre-existing kidney or bladder problems. If left untreated, complicated UTIs can lead to severe, permanent kidney damage.
The other category of UTIs is an uncomplicated UTI. These occur in individuals who are otherwise healthy and do not have abnormalities in their urinary tract. Uncomplicated UTIs tend to be recurring. They are categorized based on where the infection develops along the urinary tract. If it develops in the bladder, its called cystitis if it grows in the kidney, its called pyelonephritis .
How Do You Get Antibiotics For Uti Without Going To A Doctor
While you still need to see a doctor in order to get antibiotics for UTI, you do not have to physically go to a doctors appointment.
With PlushCare, you can schedule a virtual consultation with a doctor from the comfort of your own home. Make an appointment today to speak with a trusted physician and get UTI treatment by video or phone.
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Is Yogurt Good For Dogs With Uti
Supplementation with B vitamins and antioxidants in times of stress, as well as offering cooling foods such as raw fruits, vegetables, and yogurt to reduce the symptoms of urinary tract infection. Foods that are known to aggravate UTIs include asparagus, spinach, raw carrots, tomatoes, and dairy products.
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How To Use Augmentin Oral
Shake the bottle well before each dose. Carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. Take this medication with a meal or snack as directed by the doctor. Depending on your specific product, this medication is usually taken every 8 or 12 hours.
The dosage is based on your age, weight, medical condition, and response to treatment.
For the best effect, take this antibiotic at evenly spaced times. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time every day.
Continue to take this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping the medication too early may allow bacteria to continue to grow, which may result in a return of the infection.
Tell the doctor if your condition persists or worsens.
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Over The Counter Uti Treatments
There are a few over-the-counter treatments available to soothe symptoms, though the Federal Drug Administration has only approved antibiotics for treatment in UTIs.
There are also some at-home remedies and lifestyle changes you can make to make yourself more comfortable, or prevent future or recurrent UTIs.
Your doctor may recommend phenazopyridine for pain relief, which can numb pain in the urinary tract. Another common OTC pain-reliever for UTIs is Cystex.
Please note that these are not replacements for antibiotics, and only relieve pain while waiting for them to work or until you can get a prescription.
Phenazopyridine will turn your urine a bright orange color and you should only use it for up to 2 days in a row maximum.
Some Facts About Pyelonephritis
- Acute pyelonephritis is a potentially life-threatening infection. In chronic pyelonephritis the kidney is damaged due to repeated or persistent infections and can even lead to kidney failure.
- Pregnant women with bacteria in their urine are at risk of developing pyelonephritis particularly in the second and third trimesters.
- The rise in the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria has complicated the treatment of some cases of pyelonephritis.
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First Are Antibiotics Necessary
Taking antibiotics should not be treated lightly, especially given the increased risk of developing multi-drug resistant bacteria like ESBL E.coli, for which we are running out of treatments.
- While burning when you pee and the urge to urinate, are common UTI symptoms, they are not always indicative of a urinary tract infection.
- Antibiotics alone are not as effective against mature bacterial biofilms.
- An incomplete course or prophylactic antibiotics can actually promote the growth of bacterial biofilms.
- Antioxidants, available in N-acetylcysteine supplements can increase the effectiveness of antibiotics and help you fight mature bacterial biofilms.
- Natural supplements like D-Mannose can be effective at the first sign of a UTI and dont come with the extensive side effect profile of many antibiotics
Therefore, you and your physician should ensure that necessary testing is done before prescribing antibiotics. This includes analyzing accurate local antibiotic resistance data to make sure you get the best empirical antibiotics until more data is available.
Complicated & Recurrent Uti
Antibiotics should never be selected empirically for complicated UTI without culture susceptibility results . Management of pyelonephritis, prostatitis, and relapsing or recurrent UTI is often unsuccessful without therapy guided by culture and susceptibility results. However, therapy should be instituted while culture and susceptibility results are being awaited. Rational initial drug choices for complicated UTI include amoxicillin, fluoroquinolones, or trimethoprim-sulfonamide.3
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What Oral Antibiotics Are Used To Treat An Uncomplicated Uti In Women
The following oral antibiotics are commonly used to treat most uncomplicated UTI infections :
Your doctor will choose your antibiotic based on your history, type of UTI, local resistance patterns, and cost considerations. First-line options are usually selected from nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Amoxicillin/clavulanate and certain cephalosporins, for example cefpodoxime, cefdinir, or cefaclor may be appropriate options when first-line options cannot be used.
Length of treatment for cystitis can range from a single, one-time dose, to a course of medication over 5 to 7 days. Kidney infections may require injectable treatment, hospitalization, as well as a longer course of antibiotic, depending upon severity of the infection.
Sometimes a UTI can be self-limiting in women, meaning that the body can fight the infection without antibiotics however, most uncomplicated UTI cases can be treated quickly with a short course of oral antibiotics. Never use an antibiotic that has been prescribed for someone else.
In men with symptoms that do not suggest a complicated UTI, treatment can be the same as women. In men with complicated UTIs and/or symptoms of prostatitis are not present, men can be treated for 7 days with a fluoroquinolone . Tailor therapy once urine cultures are available.
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Antibiotics Used For Complicated Utis
Before getting into how to best treat a complicated UTI, its important to understand which UTIs are considered complicated. Here are some guidelines:
- Urinary tract abnormalities are present
- Youre pregnant
- The patient is a child
- A comorbidity is present that increases risk of infection or treatment resistance, such as poorly controlled diabetes
- Youre a man, since most UTIs in men are considered complicated
Kidney infections are often treated as a complicated UTI as well, notes the Merck Manual.
If a UTI is complicated, a different course of antibiotics may be required. And the initial dose of antibiotics may be started intravenously in the hospital. After that, antibiotics are given orally at home. In addition, follow-up urine cultures are generally recommended within 10 to 14 days after treatment. Not all of the antibiotics approved for uncomplicated UTIs are appropriate for the complicated version. Some that are considered appropriate, include:
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Do You Need To See A Doctor To Get Antibiotics For A Uti
You need to speak with your doctor or a licensed medical professional to be prescribed antibiotics for a UTI. This can usually be done in person, at the doctor, or over the phone.
If this is your first UTI or your symptoms are severe, it may be helpful to get treated in person. You may also want to consider an in-person visit with your healthcare professional to rule out sexually transmitted infections if you are sexually active or have multiple sexual partners.
How Relevant Is This To My Practice
Uncomplicated lower UTI remains one of the most commonly treated infections in primary care. The urinary tract is a common source of infection in children and infants and is the most common bacterial infection in children < 2 years of age, both in the community and hospital setting. During the first six months of life, UTIs are more common in boys. The outcome is usually benign, but UTIs can progress to renal scarring in early infancy, especially when associated with congenital anomalies of the urinary tract. Renal scarring may lead to complications in adulthood including hypertension, proteinuria, renal damage and even chronic renal failure, which requires dialysis treatment.
In general, 40% of women develop a UTI at some point in their life. In Singapore, 4% of young adult women are affected and the incidence increases to 7% at 50 years of age. Adult women are 30 times more likely than men to develop a UTI, with almost half of them experiencing at least one episode of UTI during their lifetime. It is reported that one in three women have their first episode of UTI by the age of 24 years. UTIs are most commonly seen in sexually active young women. Other susceptible adults include the elderly and patients requiring urethral catheterisation.
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When Should I Refer To A Specialist
Referral to a specialist is recommended for these cases:
You prescribed a course of antibiotics and advised Yvonne to return if her symptoms did not improve after three days. Yvonne brought her mother to see you two weeks later for a cough and mentioned that your treatment for her cystitis had worked very well.
Antibiotics That Shouldnt Be A First Choice For Uncomplicated Utis
Other antibiotics appear to be overused, and some physicians may misuse non-recommended antibiotics as first-line treatments. Ciprofloxacin is used in 35% of uncomplicated UTIs, while levofloxacin is used in 2%. These antibiotics can be important treatments in some cases of more complicated UTIs, but can have dangerous side effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that the use of these drugs should be restricted because of their potentially disabling side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system. Additionally, in many parts of the country, bacteria commonly causing UTIs are becoming resistant to these antibiotics.
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Fungal Urinary Tract Infection
Fungal UTI is uncommon. As with bacterial UTI, fungal UTI occurs because of temporary or permanent breaches in local or systemic immunity of the lower urinary tract. Funguria may be due to primary infections of the lower urinary tract or secondary to shedding of fungal elements into the urine in animals with systemic infections. Primary fungal UTI is most commonly due to Candida spp, a commensal inhabitant of the genital mucosa, upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract., Candida albicans is the most commonly identified species, followed by Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis other ubiquitous fungi may also occasionally cause primary fungal UTI, including Aspergillus spp, Blastomycosis spp , and Cryptococcus spp.
Blastomyces spp organisms observed by microscopic examination of urine sediment from a 2-year-old castrated male Doberman pinscher.
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Things You Can Do Yourself
To help ease symptoms of a urinary tract infection :
- takeparacetamolup to 4 times a day to reduce pain and a high temperature for people with a UTI, paracetamol is usually recommended over NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or aspirin
- you can give childrenliquid paracetamol
- rest and drink enough fluids so you pass pale urine regularly during the day
- avoid having sex
Some people take cystitis sachets or cranberry drinks and products every day to prevent UTIs from happening, which may help. However, there’s no evidence they help ease symptoms or treat a UTI if the infection has already started.
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Is It Possible To Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections With A Vaccine
Currently, there are no commercially available vaccines for UTIs, either recurrent or first-time infections. One of the problems in developing a vaccine is that so many different organisms can cause infection a single vaccine would be difficult to synthesize to cover them all. Even with E. coli causing about most infections, the subtle changes in antigenic structures that vary from strain to strain further complicates vaccine development even for E. coli. Researchers are still investigating ways to overcome the problems in UTI vaccine development.
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Treatment For Urinary Tract Infection
The best cystitistreatment is an antibiotic. Your dose and the type of antibiotic will depend on the severity of yourinfection as well as other factors, including:
- Side effects from past antibiotic treatments
Before your doctor prescribes you an antibiotic for UTI, he needs to determine the type of bacteriacausing the infection first. He will take a urine sample to confirm your infection. Samples of thebacteria will be grown in the lab for a couple of days. This culture will help your doctor determine thetype of bacteria thats causing the infection.
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How Common Are Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections are very common, occurring in 1 out of 5 women sometime in their lifetime. Though UTIs are common in women, they can also happen to men, older adults and children. One to 2% of children develop urinary tract infections. Each year, 8 million to 10 million visits to doctors are for urinary tract infections.
Prevent Your Bladder From Getting Too Full
Empty your bladder when needed. Empty it completely each time. This will help to reduce your chances of developing two common problems that increase your risk for UTI.
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Viral Urinary Tract Infection
Viral-induced disease in humans is increasingly recognized, especially of the upper urinary tract. However, it can be difficult to determine cause-and-effect relationships because viral-induced disease may occur in the absence of detectable replicating virus. Several viruses have been implicated in canine and feline disease .
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