Urinary Tract Infections or UTIs are infections that pass through the urethra, the skin tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body during urination. While pretty easy to treat and have a high treatment rate, if left untreated UTI’s can lead to very serious and harmful problems in the body.
Causes of UTI’s
UTI’s are caused by the spread of germs through the urethra and into the bladder causing bladder infections. The infections occur more in women mainly because of their shorter urethra length making it easier for germs to gain entry into the bladder. Having sex can cause easier spreading of germs into the bladder.
People who are pregnant or diagnosed with diabetes usually find gaining this infection a lot easier than people who are not diagnosed. Any activity that causes a blockage from the urine tract to the urethra can cause a higher rate in UTI’s entrance. Also wiping after a bowel movement back to front can cause a higher risk of UTI’s
Is it Contagious?
While sexual activity can endorse germs entering the bladder, UTI’s themselves are non- contagious. Persons are not able to transfer the infections from one another. Precautions should however take individually to prevent UTI’s to affect persons.
Treatment
While UTI’s are usually pretty easy to treat, treatment success depends on the quickness of discovering it. For example, a UTI that is left untreated and unmonitored can turn into a much more severe and possibly permanent kidney infection that can leave kidney damage. Symptoms like blood or pain during urination, often but minimal urine, fever and chills, and cloudy urine can all be a precursor to UTI’s. If caught quickly, a UTI can be cured by home treatments, such as large fluid intake, often urination, and a soothing bubble bath to draw away the pain.
If however, the person affected is 65 or older, pregnant, or is without a strong immune system professional help should be sought out. Also if home treatment doesn’t work and the symptoms expand like frequent vomiting, severe abdomen and rib cage pain, and strong drowsiness medical help should be sought out. If you are treated by a doctor, treatment usually consists of prescribing a high level antibiotic to counter the infection.
A urine test is sampled to test for germs, to see if they are the true cause of the symptoms. After a prescription of antibiotics and orders to drink a lot of fluids, UTI’s are almost always treated conclusively and are able to be treated in the future.