Why Am I Getting So Many Urinary Tract Infections

How To Prevent Uti Re

Following some tips can help you avoid getting another UTI:

• Empty your bladder often as soon as you feel the need to pee don’t rush, and be sure you’ve emptied your bladder completely.
• Wipe from front to back after you use the toilet.
• Drink lots of water.
• Choose showers over baths.
• Stay away from feminine hygiene sprays, scented douches, and scented bath products they’ll only increase irritation.
• Cleanse your genital area before sex.
• Pee after sex to flush out any bacteria that may have entered your urethra.
• If you use a diaphragm, unlubricated condoms, or spermicidal jelly for birth control, you may want to switch to another method. Diaphragms can increase bacteria growth, while unlubricated condoms and spermicides can irritate your urinary tract. All can make UTI symptoms more likely.
• Keep your genital area dry by wearing cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes. Donââ¬â¢t wear tight jeans and nylon underwear they can trap moisture, creating the perfect environment for bacteria growth.

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Finding The Cause Of Cystitis

It is important for doctors to find the cause of cystitis in several different groups. The cause should be found in

• Analgesics as needed

• Sometimes surgery

Cystitis is usually treated with antibiotics. Before prescribing antibiotics, the doctor determines whether the person has a condition that would make cystitis more severe, such as diabetes or a weakened immune system , or more difficult to eliminate, such as a structural abnormality. Such conditions may require more potent antibiotics taken for a longer period of time, particularly because the infection is likely to return as soon as the person stops taking antibiotics. People with such conditions may also have infections caused by fungi or unusual bacteria and may thus require something other than the most commonly used antibiotics.

For women, taking an antibiotic by mouth for 3 days is usually effective if the infection has not led to any complications, although some doctors prefer to give a single dose. For more stubborn infections, an antibiotic is usually taken for 7 to 10 days. For men, cystitis usually is caused by prostatitis, and antibiotic treatment is usually required for weeks.

A variety of drugs can relieve symptoms, especially the frequent, insistent urge to urinate and painful urination. Phenazopyridine may help reduce the pain by soothing the inflamed tissues and can be taken for a couple of days, until antibiotics control the infection.

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Your Diet Is High In Bladder

Some people experience bladder sensitivity. If youre one of them, your bladder may become inflamed due to the foods you eat and beverages you drink. This inflammation increases the risk of infection-causing bacteria growth in the urinary tract. Foods and beverages that can trigger bladder sensitivity include:

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Why Does My Uti Keep Coming Back

Chronic or recurring UTIs may keep coming back due to one of the risk factors listed above. Use of spermicides for birth control, for instance, may kill off beneficial bacteria in and around the , making it easier for harmful bacteria to enter the urinary tract.

In some cases, what seem like recurrent UTIs may actually be another condition, such as kidney stonesor interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition with no infection. If you think youre getting recurrent UTIs, see your provider, who can help rule out another condition, notes ACOG.

Other Ways To Prevent Some Utis Coming Back

If you keep getting a bladder infection , there is some evidence it may be helpful to take:

• D-mannose a sugar you can buy as a powder or tablets to take every day
• cranberry products available as juice, tablets or capsules to take every day

Speak to your doctor before taking any of these during pregnancy.

Be aware that D-mannose and cranberry products can contain a lot of sugar.

If youre taking warfarin, you should avoid cranberry products.

Page last reviewed: 22 March 2022 Next review due: 22 March 2025

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Youre Irritating Your Urethra

Irritation can put you at an increased risk for UTIs. If the urethra becomes irritated, the tissue that lines it may swell. This narrows the pathway from the bladder, making it easier for bacteria to get trapped. Some potential sources of irritation include:

• Tight-fitting clothing or underwear that rubs against or cuts into the groin
• Scented feminine care sprays and powders
• Scented maxi pads and tampons
• Scented soaps and body washes
• Detergents and fabric softeners

Changing what you wear or the products you use to care for yourself and your clothing may cut down on irritation and lower the likelihood of recurrentrecurring UTIs.

Urinary Tract Infections In Babies And Young Children

Babies and children are at risk of UTIs. These infections always need to be investigated as they may indicate a serious underlying condition, such as urinary reflux. Reflux is caused by a bladder valve problem allowing urine to flow back into the kidneys from the bladder. Reflux can cause the urine to stay inside the body increasing the risk of infection. It may lead to kidney scarring, which in turn leads to high blood pressure and sometimes kidney problems.

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What Causes Recurrent Utis

Bacteria can enter the urinary tract from the outside to cause a UTI to come back, or a recurrent infection can be caused by bacteria that remain in the urinary tract after a previous infection. Symptoms of recurrent UTI in men and women include the frequent urge to urinate, burning pain or pressure, cloudy or discolored urine, bloody urine, and chills and fever. Children with UTIs are more likely to have fever without the other symptoms. Common conditions that can lead to recurrent UTIs include:

• Being in a nursing home or hospital
• Having an infected or enlarged prostate
• Being born with an abnormality of the urinary tract

What Causes A Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infections are caused by microorganisms usually bacteria that enter the urethra and bladder, causing inflammation and infection. Though a UTI most commonly happens in the urethra and bladder, bacteria can also travel up the ureters and infect your kidneys.

More than 90% of bladder infection cases are caused by E. coli, a bacterium normally found in the intestines.

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Ways To Avoid Urinary Tract Infections

• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, which increases urination, thereby flushing out bladder bacteria. How much should you drink? Enough to keep your urine looking clear.

• Wipe properly. Women should wipe from front to back after using the toilet. Wiping from back to front may increase the risk of getting UTIs.

• Use topical estrogen creams. These creams may help postmenopausal women who have vaginal dryness and struggle with recurrent urinary tract infections.

• Dont rely on cranberry juice. The evidence about whether it helps prevent UTIs is mixed. And the juice has lots of sugar and calories.

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Causes Of Recurrent Utis

Women are far more likely to develop UTIs than men because of the shorter distance between their rectum and urethra. And unfortunately, some women are more prone to developing UTIs than others.

Having a close family history of UTIs, like your sister or mother, also increases your risk as do other factors, including:

• Using some forms of birth control
• Having health issues that make you more susceptible to infection
• Taking certain medications
• Not urinating after intercourse or engaging in sexual activity

Women who dont wipe from front to back after using the restroom or who use vaginal douches, scented feminine washes, or scented tampons and pads are also at higher risk of getting recurrent UTIs.

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Diagnosing And Treating Utis

UTIs can be diagnosed by your primary care doctoryou dont have to see a specialist initially. To diagnose a UTI, your doctor will send a sample of your urine to a lab for a urine culture where the urine is processed and evaluated for bacteria. The culture also can tell us what bug you have and what antibiotics can be used to help treat the infection. A urine analysis, which can be done quickly in our office, can suggest an infection, however, the best test is an actual culture.

Most UTIs are treated with oral antibiotics. However, there are superbugs that may be resistant to what we can give you by mouth, and those would require using stronger antibiotics through an IV. Most treatments last 5 to 7 days, but can be longer.

A quick internet search will give you home remedies for treating a UTI, but I dont recommend this. Untreated infections can spread to the rest of your body and put your life at risk.

What Causes Urinary Tract Infections

Normal urine is sterile and contains fluids, salts, and waste products. It does not contain bacteria, viruses, or fungi. A UTI occurs when germs, most often bacteria from the digestive tract, get into the opening of the urethra and start to multiply.

Most UTIs are caused by E. coli bacteria, which normally live in the colon.

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Are Utis The Same In Older Women As Younger Women

Although women can get UTIs at any age, they can affect older women differently. UTI symptoms can be different or more severe in older women. Sometimes older women can have a UTI and be asymptomatic.

In addition to the general symptoms listed above, older women should be aware of these additional symptoms:

• Delirium or hallucination
• Agitation and restlessness
• Social withdrawal

Older women are also more likely to have an underlying medical condition thats triggering their recurrent UTIs or causing UTI-like symptoms. For example, pelvic organ prolapse can cause symptoms that are very similar to UTIs, such as a frequent urge to urinate or pain and pressure in the lower abdomen.

Since these conditions cant be treated with the antibiotics often prescribed for UTIs, its important to have a comprehensive medical exam. At Alpenglow Gynecology, we rule out underlying causes or conditions that may be causing your UTI symptoms.

Symptoms Of Recurring Utis

• An intense, uncontrollable desire to urinate
• Getting a scorching sensation while you urinate
• Frequent urination in tiny amounts
• A vivid pink, red, or brown-colored urine
• Urine with a strong smell
• Pelvic pain, especially in the central parts of the pelvis and about the pubic bone

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How Do Utis Affect Pregnancy

Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy raise your risk for UTIs. UTIs during pregnancy are more likely to spread to the kidneys.

If you’re pregnant and have symptoms of a UTI, see your doctor or nurse right away. Your doctor will give you an antibiotic that is safe to take during pregnancy.

If left untreated, UTIs could lead to kidney infections and problems during pregnancy, including:

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight

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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How Biofilms Can Cause Your Uti Symptoms To Come And Go

Lets compare the science of biofilms with the symptoms a sufferer of a chronic urinary tract infection may experience, using E.coli as an example pathogen:

We should also note here that biofilms can be fungal as well as bacterial, and there may be more than one pathogen present in the bladder at any given time. In fact, biofilms can be complex and diverse communities of multiple pathogens.

For the sake of simplicity, and because bacterial infections of the urinary tract are much more common than fungal, well stick to bacteria for our examples. But keep in mind, what causes a chronic urinary tract infection in one person is very likely different from the next person.

Fascinated? A UK research team has put together a more in depth look at how biofilms and IBCs form for you to view.

How Is A Uti Diagnosed

To find out whether you have a UTI, your doctor or nurse will test a clean sample of your urine. This means you will first wipe your genital area with a special wipe. Then you will collect your urine in midstream in a cup. Your doctor or nurse may then test your urine for bacteria to see whether you have a UTI, which can take a few days.

If you have had a UTI before, your doctor may order more tests to rule out other problems. These tests may include:

• A cystogram. This is a special type of x-ray of your urinary tract. These x-rays can show any problems, including swelling or kidney stones.
• A cystoscopic exam. The cystoscope is a small tube the doctor puts into the urethra to see inside of the urethra and bladder for any problems.

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A Pharmacist Can Help With Utis

You can ask a pharmacist about treatments for a UTI.

A pharmacist can:

• offer advice on things that can help you get better
• suggest the best painkiller to take
• tell you if you need to see a GP about your symptoms

Some pharmacies offer a UTI management service. They may be able to give antibiotics if theyre needed.

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Why Am I Getting Urinary Tract Infections

Ever since I started having sex I get urinary tract infections a lot. Does that mean there could be something else wrong? Mandy*

If you have burning or pain when you pee, it could be a number of things. One possibility is a urinary tract infection , but others include a sexually transmitted disease , such as chlamydia, or chemical irritation from a spermicide . Its hard to tell the difference without seeing a doctor or .

Urinary tract infections tend to be more common in girls who have sex. Often, they happen because bacteria entered the urethra .

Follow these steps to help decrease your chances of getting UTIs:

• Wipe front to back after going to the bathroom.
• Pee right before and after sex.
• Drink plenty of liquids, especially water.

STDs can cause symptoms similar to those of a UTI, such as burning, vaginal discharge, belly pain, and irregular bleeding.

Many times, though, STDs have few symptoms, which is why it is important for anyone who has had sex to be tested at least once a year. And always use condoms with any type of sex to help prevent STDs.

In any case, the best thing to do is get checked out ASAP by a health care provider who can look for the reason you’re having symptoms. It’s really important to get the right diagnosis and treatment!

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.

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Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection In Pregnancy

UTI is the most frequent medical complication of pregnancy. The risk factors of preterm delivery, low infant birth weight and abortions are most commonly associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy.77 In pregnancy, factors that contribute to UTI risk are ureteric and renal pelvis dilation increased urinary pH decreased muscle tone of the ureters, and glycosuria, which promotes bacterial growth. Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy reduces the risk of pyelonephritis. As RUTIs are common in pregnancy, they need prophylactic treatment if they occur. Screening for bacteriuria is recommended in all pregnant women at their first prenatal visit and then in the third trimester.82,83 They should subsequently be treated with antibiotics such as nitrofurantoin, sulfisoxazole or cephalexin.21,24,8284 Antibiotic prophylaxis for RUTI in pregnant women is effective using continuous or post-coital regimens. The causative organisms of UTI in pregnancy are similar to those found in non-pregnant patients, with E. coli accounting for 8090% of infections.85,86 Urinary group B streptococcal infections in pregnant women need to be treated and followed by intrapartum prophylaxis.21

The Absence Of Recurrent Uti Guidelines

Because there are no guidelines on managing complex or recurrent UTI, primary care doctors are generally not in a position to help.

For females that progress from a single UTI, to recurrent UTI or chronic urinary tract infection, or to a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis, there has historically been very little hope of effective treatment. We hope to help change this.

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