Symptoms, causes, and treatments for
Urinary Tract Infection
When bacteria enter your urinary tract, they can infect your bladder and urethra.
UTI symptoms include:
Women have a higher risk of contracting UTIs than men.
The most common cause of an infection in women probably doesn’t come up often in conversation: bacteria entering the urinary tract from improper wiping. The “front to back” rule is always sound advice.
A weak wiping game can introduce colon-based bacteria like E. coli. These bacteria then sneak up your urinary tract and set off a nasty chain of events. Sex may also spread bacteria to the urethra and cause a UTI.
Other health factors that increase your risk of severe or frequent infections:
UTIs don’t resolve themselves like the common cold or mild sinus congestion. Schedule a visit if you’re experiencing any UTI symptoms, and a doctor will figure out what’s going on.
Antibiotics treat the most common bacterial strains, but in rare cases women experience continual UTIs after completing a course of antibiotics. UTIs can even spread to your kidneys -- docs call that acute pyelonephritis.
Bacteria can resist antibiotics and establish repeatedly invading colonies. This uncommon and incessant type of UTI can occur due to underlying genetics, or other types of internal or external abnormalities.
Urinary Tract Infection
Prevention Tips:
Consider these tips to help reduce your chance of infection: