Realising you have a UTI is a miserable feeling. Often, they come when you least expect it, and can cause a whole host of uncomfortable, and painful symptoms that stop you from enjoying your daily activities. But they can also spread to the kidneys, which can spell trouble – and there are signs that you should never ignore....CONTINUE READING
According to The Urology Foundation Chair and former Consultant Urologist, Mary Garthwaite, some common symptoms of UTIs are cloudy or reddish urine, and lethargy.
But there are more urgent symptoms that you should not ignore, as they could signal that the infection has spread to the kidney, which can lead to hospitalisation if not treated quickly enough.
According to Mary, kidney infection symptoms “include fever, pain in the back or side below the ribs, nausea, or vomiting.”
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you should make contact with a GP “promptly”, as if the infection is left, it can “cause permanent damage, or may even lead to sepsis.”
She said: “If you are severely ill with a kidney infection, you may be hospitalised until you can take fluids and medications by mouth, on your own.
If you have a kidney infection you will usually be on a longer course of antibiotics and your complete recovery, in terms of strength and feeling back to your normal self, may take several weeks.”
Mary explained that UTIs are the “second most common kind of infection” and “women are more likely to develop them than men as bacteria can reach the bladder more easily due to the short length of the urethra”.
She shared that “around 50% of all women will suffer from a UTI at some stage in their lifetime.” But men can get them too, and it “is often associated with infection and inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis).”
She added: “The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters (the tubes from the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube which expels urine from the bladder). It is the system by which urine is created, stored, and passed out of the body at a socially convenient time.”
Most people with a UTI will experience some of the following symptoms, although not everyone has the same signs:
● An urgent feeling of needing to pass urine more often
● Pain or burning sensation upon passing urine
● General feeling of being unwell, tired, weak, and lethargic
● Cloudy or reddish urine if blood is present
● Foul smelling urine
While they are most often treatable, there are ways to avoid UTIs, according to Mary Garthwaite. Her top tip is to “drink plenty of water” as “this helps dilute the urine and makes you pee more frequently so that you flush the bacteria out of the bladder”. She added: “It also helps prevent constipation which is another risk factor for UTIs.”
Mary also recommended drinking a glass of cranberry juice as it “may help flush the bacteria away by reducing bacterial adherence.” But she did recommend that you “beware of the high sugar content in some products.”
Also, make sure you “empty your bladder regularly and fully” and “practice good genital hygiene – remember to wipe from front to back after going to the toilet. Bacteria from the rectal passage can enter the urinary tract and is a common cause of UTIs.”
You should also “empty your bladder as soon as possible after having sex” and “review your method of birth control – spermicides can alter the natural bacterial environment in the vagina which normally has a protective effect against UTIs.”
If you’re prone to UTIs, Mary also recommends Vitamin C, as it “can limit the growth of some bacteria”, cranberry tablets and D-mannose “can reduce bacterial adherence in the urinary tract”, and “vaginal oestrogen replacement in postmenopausal women who have developed problems with recurrent UTIs.”
She did share that often UTIs can be managed by “simple measures such as increasing your fluid intake and taking over-the-counter preparations to ease the discomfort and symptoms until your body clears the infection by itself.”
But if you are struggling, and you “see blood in your urine, or you are starting to get frequent UTIs, it is important to see your GP or healthcare provider.
They will note your symptoms and may test your urine for pus, blood, and bacteria”, and as a result, antibiotics may be prescribed, and are usually effective “within one to two days of treatment.”
“However, if there is a complex element to your UTI (the severity of the UTI, if it is affecting the prostate or kidney, your overall health status, a known underlying problem with your urinary tract or a persistent or resurgent UTI) you may be prescribed a longer course of antibiotics.
It is important to finish the entire course of antibiotics, because sometimes your symptoms may go away before the infection is fully cleared”, Mary urged.
And if “you experience two UTIs in a six-month period or three or more UTIs in a 12-month period you should see your GP as you are likely to require referral for further investigation.
This might include an ultrasound scan of your kidneys and bladder and a flexible cystoscopy (a thin telescope is passed into your bladder via the urethra, under local anaesthetic, so the doctor can check the inside of your bladder).
“These tests are used to look for potential causes of your UTIs, such as kidney stones, debris in the bladder from chronic incomplete bladder emptying, blockages of the waterpipe from an enlarged prostate, or a narrowing at the bladder neck or urethra.
If you notice blood in your urine these tests are also helpful in ruling out other more serious causes, such as bladder cancer..<<CONTINUE READING>>
