Urinary Tract Infection

What causes urinary tract infections (UTIs)?

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria enter the lower urinary tract through the urethral meatus, the tiny opening where urine exits the body. Under normal circumstances, when the body is healthy and the levels of bacteria are relatively low, the body’s immune system can destroy them and prevent an infection from occurring. But if the immune system is compromised or the number of bacteria is very high, the immune system defenses can be overwhelmed, allowing them to travel up the urinary tract and cause widespread infection. Without prompt and appropriate treatment, the infection can spread to the kidneys and blood stream, eventually causing kidney damage. Each year in the U.S., about 10 million UTIs occur, mostly in women.

What symptoms are associated with urinary tract infections?

A urinary tract infection can cause different symptoms depending on how far the infection has spread. Some common symptoms include:

• painful or burning sensations when urinating
• increased urge to urinate
• inability to completely empty the bladder
• feeling like the bladder still contains urine even after urinating
• urine that has a darker color or strong odor
• urinary leakage
• belly or back pain
• fever, chills and sometimes nausea (with more advanced infections)

What UTI treatment options are available?

Most urinary tract infections can be cured with a course of antibiotics. When taking antibiotics to treat a UTI (or any type of infection), it’s very important to take the entire course, even once symptoms have improved, to ensure all the bacteria have been destroyed and to prevent future infection. UTIs caused by viruses or fungi require different approaches and different medications. When recurrent UTIs are caused by an underlying anatomical problem that interferes with normal function, surgery may be recommended to treat those issues to prevent future infection and eventual scarring. It’s also important to drink plenty of water to flush the infection out of the body.