Urinary Tract Infection Or Bladder Infection

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

Prevention And Treatment Of Kidney Infection

• Occasionally surgery

Antibiotics are started as soon as the doctor suspects pyelonephritis and samples have been taken for laboratory tests. The choice of drug or its dosage may be modified based on the laboratory test results , how sick the person is, and whether the infection started in the hospital, where bacteria tend to be more resistant to antibiotics. Other factors that can alter the choice or dosage of drug include whether the personâs immune system is impaired and whether the person has a urinary tract abnormality , including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Blockage can be complete⦠read more ).

Outpatient treatment with antibiotics given by mouth is usually successful if the person has:

• No nausea or vomiting

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Does Cranberry Juice Prevent A Urinary Tract Infection

Many people say that cranberry juice can help treat, or even prevent, a UTI. Researchers are currently looking into the topic, but havent found a definitive answer yet. Healthcare providers recommend drinking lots of fluids if you have, or have a history of getting, a UTI. Adding a glass of unsweetened cranberry juice to your diet isnt a proven way to prevent a UTI, but it typically wont hurt you either.

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Treatment For Utis Vs Kidney Infection Treatment

UTIs, including kidney infections, can be treated with a course of antibiotics. The type of antibiotic can depend on the type of bacteria thats causing your infection as well as how severe your infection is.

The doctor will often start you on an antibiotic that works against a wide variety of UTI-causing bacteria. If a urine culture is performed, the doctor may switch your antibiotic to one thats most effective at treating the specific bacterium thats causing your infection.

Simple UTIs can be treated with short 3- to 5-day courses of antibiotics. Treatment for kidney infections generally lasts 7 to 14 days, depending on which class of antibiotic is prescribed.

You may begin to feel better after only a few days on antibiotics. However, you should still make sure that you complete your entire treatment course as prescribed. If you do not take all of your antibiotics, the stronger bacteria may not be killed, causing your infection to persist and flare up again.

If youre pregnant, your doctor may also request a repeat urine sample following a kidney infection, even if your symptoms have resolved. This allows them to check to see whether your infection has completely cleared.

If there are still bacteria present in the sample, you may need another course of antibiotics. Persistence of bacteria can potentially harm an unborn baby.

People with severe kidney infections may need to be hospitalized. In this case, you may receive antibiotics and fluids intravenously.

Important Notes For Uti Treatment

To ensure your UTI is completely gone, its important to finish your course of antibioticseven if it doesnt burn when you pee anymore. If you dont, you risk developing an antibiotic-resistant UTI, which makes a UTI more complicated to treat.

If youve dealt with bladder infections or UTIs before, youve likely heard about home remedieslike drinking lots of cranberry juice and water as alternatives to taking antibiotics. Although home remedies may sound like an easier alternative, they wont clear up an infection. Things like staying hydrated may be recommended as a part of your treatment plan, but there is no substitute for antibiotics.

How to get UTI treatment, 24/7

The sooner you get treated for your UTI, the better. If youre feeling the burn and urgency to go, its time to start a visit. The longer you wait, the more risk that an infection could travel to your kidneys. You can start an online visit at Virtuwell anytimeyes, even in the middle of the night when your bladder wont let you sleepand UTIs are very treatable.

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Duration Of Urinary Tract Infections

Once treatment has started, symptoms of simple bladder infections usually go away within one to two days, though you’ll need to continue taking any course of antibiotics as prescribed. If the infection is complicated and has spread to the kidney, it may take a week or longer before symptoms disappear.

How Do Women Get Utis

It’s very common for women to get UTIs. In fact, women get UTIs up to 30 times more often than men do, and more than half of all women will get a UTI at some point in their lives. There are a few reasons for this:

• The urethra is shorter in women, so bacteria have less distance to travel to the bladder
• Some hormonal changes can put women at higher risk for UTIs, especially changes seen during menopause and pregnancy
• Pregnancy increases the risk of UTIs because the fetus is sitting directly on top of the urethra, which can block the drainage of urine from the bladder

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How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Bladder Infection And A Uti

Theres a reason that people use the terms UTI and bladder infection interchangeablythe symptoms are largely the same.

• Burning sensation while peeing
• Feeling of urgency to pee, but produce very little urine

The most common type of UTI is a bladder infection. Therefore if you have a UTI, its likely in your bladder. And thankfully, bladder infections are relatively simple to treat.

If you have a UTI that isnt a bladder infection, you may experience additional symptoms.

• Lower back pain that feels more severe than a bladder infection
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Pinkish or reddish urine

If you think you have a UTI, its important to get treated quickly to prevent the infection from spreading to your kidneys.

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Can A Uti Cause Backpain

Yes, a UTI can cause back pain, often on just one side. Back pain is more common when the infection is in the kidneys, a condition known as pyelonephritis. Most UTIs start in the bladder, and some then progress upward to the kidney. Kidney infections are serious and often require taking antibiotics for a longer period of time than for bladder infections.

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What Can Happen If A Uti Is Not Treated

If treated right away, a UTI is not likely to damage your urinary tract. But if your UTI is not treated, the infection can spread to the kidneys and other parts of your body. The most common symptoms of kidney infection are fever and pain in the back where the kidneys are located. Antibiotics can also treat kidney infections.

Sometimes the infection can get in the bloodstream. This is rare but life-threatening.

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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Is Screening Recommended For Uti Or Kidney Infection

In general, screening is not recommended for urinary tract infections and kidney infections in men and nonpregnant women.

While pregnant, screening may be recommended for women because bacteria in the urine without symptoms of infection are associated with a higher rate of progression to an overt urinary tract infection and pyelonephritis. These infections can potentially compromise fetal growth and health.

Screening for bacteria in the urine without any symptoms is also recommended for any individual prior to undergoing instrumentation of the urinary tract or in men undergoing prostate procedures. The presence of bacteria in the urine with or without infection can possibly lead to an increased chance of developing a urinary tract infection. Treating these bacteria can substantially reduce the infectious complications of such procedures.

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What Are The Symptoms Of A Uti

If you have a UTI, you may have some or all of these symptoms:6,7

• Pain or burning when urinating
• An urge to urinate often, but not much comes out when you go
• Pressure in your lower abdomen
• Urine that smells bad or looks milky or cloudy
• Blood in the urine. This is more common in younger women. If you see blood in your urine, tell a doctor or nurse right away.
• Feeling tired, shaky, confused, or weak. This is more common in older women.
• Having a fever, which may mean the infection has reached your kidneys

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Children And Urinary Tract Infections

Symptoms in children are different from symptoms in adults. Urinary tract infections are quite common in children. While UTIs in very young children are often associated with an anatomic abnormality, for others the infection is related to introducing bacteria into the urinary tract. UTIs in children generally peak in infancy and then again between ages 2 and 4, coinciding with potty training.

In newborns, signs of urinary tract infection include poor feeding, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, mild jaundice, and fever. For babies younger than 2, foul-smelling urine may also be a sign. For older children, the more classic UTI signs, such as urgency, incontinence, and pain while urinating occur.

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What Is The Urinary Tract

The urinary tract makes and stores urine, one of the body’s liquid waste products. The urinary tract includes the following parts:

• Kidneys: These small organs are located on back of your body, just above the hips. They are the filters of your body removing waste and water from your blood. This waste becomes urine.
• Ureters: The ureters are thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to your bladder.
• Bladder: A sac-like container, the bladder stores your urine before it leaves the body.
• Urethra: This tube carries the urine from your bladder to the outside of the body.

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There’s A Difference Between Bacterial Vaginosis And Urinary Tract Infection And Here’s All That You Need To Know About The Two Conditions

Are you experiencing frequent or painful urination but are confused about exactly which vaginal infection you may have? If thats the case, youre not alone. A woman experiences different types of infections throughout her life, and often it becomes a bit difficult to ascertain the exact issue. When it comes to intimate health-related infections, chances are you probably knew that both bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infection are very common female health problems. What you may not know is the difference between them.

Although both types of infections may seem similar, their causes, symptoms, and treatments are quite different. To understand the difference, HealthShots spoke to Dr Swati Gaikwad, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Pune. She explained here how you can differentiate between both the infections.

Prevention Of Urinary Tract Infection

There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting a UTI:

• Drink plenty of water and other liquids to help flush out bacteria.
• Urinate frequently, or about every two to three hours.
• For women: Wipe from front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement.
• Urinate before and soon after having sexual intercourse.
• Avoid synthetic underwear, tight pants, and lingering in wet gym clothes or a bathing suit. Though none of this can cause a UTI, these habits can increase the spread of bacteria.
• Avoid vaginal deodorants, douches, powders, and other potentially irritating feminine products.
• Use a method of birth control other than a diaphragm, spermicide, or unlubricated condoms.

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Bladder Infection Vs Other Utis

The symptoms of a bladder infection, which people may refer to as cystitis, are very similar to those of UTIs in other parts of the urinary tract. As a result, it may be difficult to tell which part of the urinary tract has an infection based on the symptoms alone.

An infection in the urethra may cause pain and burning when urinating and discharge from the urethra, but bladder pain is not a symptom.

An infection that has spread to the kidneys will cause the most severe symptoms. A person with a kidney infection may notice the same symptoms as those of a bladder infection, plus fever, chills, and back pain.

Treatment is usually the same for all types of UTI, except for kidney infections. Treating a kidney infection may require a person to stay in the hospital.

Kidney infections can cause serious health conditions, so anyone with these symptoms should seek treatment as early as possible.

UTIs occur when harmful bacteria enter the urinary tract and start spreading.

Anyone can get a urinary tract infection, but certain risk factors can elevate the chances. These include:

• Biological sex: Females have a

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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Which Infections Are Worse

NIDDK . A kidney infection is usually caused by a bladder or urethra infection where the bacteria multiply and travel upward toward the kidneys.

Kidney infections can be extremely serious and painful, sometimes leading to hospitalization to receive intravenous antibiotics. If left untreated, kidney infections due to UTIs can cause infections in the bloodstream. This can be life-threatening.

Symptoms Of A Urinary Tract Infection

Symptoms of a lower UTI include

• Pain or discomfort when urinating
• The feeling of being unable to empty your bladder fully
• Cloudy and/or foul-smelling urine that may contain blood
• Pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis
• Feeling achy, tired and generally under-the-weather

Symptoms of an upper UTI include

• A high temperature of 38°C
• Pain in your sides or back
• Shivering or chills
• Agitation or restlessness

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Areas For Further Uti Research

When asked about the studys limitations, Dr. Jennifer Linehan, urologist and associate professor of urology and urologic oncology at the Saint Johns Cancer Institute at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, not involved in the study, told MNT:

The most significant and important limitation is there has not been any human studies to date to measure its efficacy and potential adverse side effects.

Dr. Phillippe Zimmern, professor of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, not involved in the study, told MNT:

The authors should be congratulated for taking on this much-needed major clinical challenge.

However, Dr. Zimmern noted that the authors had pointed out their study was conducted with a specific UPEC strain. This strain was isolated from the blood and urine of a woman with an acute kidney infection and not from a person with a recurrent UTI without kidney involvement.

This is crucial, as it is women with recurrent UTIs who take daily antibiotic therapies that alter their gut flora, develop allergies to antibiotics, or have resistance issues in the long run.

Dr. Zimmern added that future research could focus on understanding the microbiome of various organs.

It is important to gain a better understanding of our microbiome residing inside the bladder and adjacent organs and of why some women never get a urinary tract infection in their lifetime.

Dr. Phillippe Zimmern, professor of urology