If you’re experiencing a burning sensation with a frequent need for urine but pass only a small amount of urine, then chances are you have developed a urinary tract infection (UTI). This infection occurs when bacteria enter your urinary tract through the vagina and urethra. Then, bacteria grow and multiply, affecting your urinary tract, and causing symptoms. It is more common in women than men. Many reasons can make bacteria enter the urinary tract and cause this infection. Luckily, it is treatable when you notice symptoms early and helps to prevent complications. Learn what causes female UTIs, their symptoms, and effective treatments in this article. Visit Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center and consult with the best Women’s health specialist in New York.
Causes
Usually, UTIs are caused by bacteria and sometimes by yeast. When bacteria enter the urinary tract in different ways, they multiply and cause a UTI. Women are more at risk of UTI than men because they have a shorter urethra. The bacteria can reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection. Many things can increase the risk of bacteria reaching your bladder, including:
- Sexual intercourse: Many women can get UTIs after sexual intercourse because the motion can transfer bacteria from the bowel or vaginal cavity into the urethra making it prone to a UTI.
- Menopause: Women are highly prone to UTIs when they go through menopause because their estrogen levels drop during this time, which makes vaginal walls thinner, which can lead to developing small cuts near the urethra, which may make them susceptible to UTIs. Additionally, menopause also disturbs the balance of bacteria and yeast in the vagina, which increases the risk of infection.
- Constipation: Taking a poop can also increase the risk of UTI infection. If you develop constipation, it makes it difficult to empty your bladder. This can trap bacteria and give them enough time to grow and multiply to cause infection. Constipation, diarrhea, or fecal incontinence also increase the risk of developing a UTI, because bacteria from loose stool can easily travel to your vagina and urethra.
- Uncontrolled diabetes: When your blood sugar gets high, the excess sugar is removed by the kidney through the urine, however, it also can provide a favorable environment for bacterial overgrowth, which leads to infection. That’s why people with diabetes are more prone to infection because of a weaker immune system. So, if you don’t manage your diabetes well, you are at high risk of a UTI.
- Holding your urine: If you hold your urine for 6 hours or more, it may make you prone to UTIs because bacteria can get into your bladder and get enough time to grow between the voiding times. So, try not to hold the urine for too long.
- Dehydration: Drinking enough water not only quenches your thirst but also prevents UTIs because when you pee regularly, your body flushes out the bacteria that could grow in your urinary tract. So, make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
- Feminine products: Tampons and dirty pads can provide an environment where bacteria can grow very easily, increasing the risk of UTI. That’s why you must change your tampons at least every 4 hours, depending on your flow, and avoid wearing them overnight during your menstrual cycle. Pads also need to be changed every 4 to 6 hours.
- Kidney stones: These stones are formed from hard mineral deposits inside the kidneys, which block the urinary tract and back up urine, which leads to UTIs (by giving enough time for bacteria to grow). In turn, UTI can also cause kidney damage, if left untreated. So, make sure you notice the common UTI symptoms and get the necessary medical care.
- Using specific types of contraception: If you use spermicide or a diaphragm for birth control, it increases the risk of UTIs because spermicide may cause vaginal irritation which creates the environment for bacteria to grow. Whereas diaphragms used with spermicide may lead to UTIs because they push against the urethra, making it difficult to empty the bladder. The urine that remains can give the environment to bacteria to grow and cause infection.
Symptoms
If you get a UTI, you may experience some or all the following symptoms:
- When you pass urine, you feel a painful, burning, or stinging sensation.
- Suspect pain if a young child starts to cry while passing urine.
- Struggle to hold urine before passing. This is called urgency.
- Passing small amounts of urine at a time. This is called increased frequency.
- New onset of day or night-time bed wetting.
- Pain in lower stomach. If your kidney is infected, pain occurs in the flank, which is below the ribs.
- Fever without other symptoms in young children.
- Cloudy urine with a bad odor. Sometimes, there will be some blood in it.
- A lower body temperature than 96.8°F.
Effective treatments
To treat urinary tract infections, your doctor may recommend OTC medicine to manage pain and prescribe a short course of antibiotics to remove the bacterial infection. During prescription, the doctor may ask you to wait for 48 hours before taking them, in case symptoms go away on their own. Make sure you take all the medication as prescribed; you may start feeling better in just a few days.
In case your UTI comes back after treatment or you have 2 UTIs in 6 months, your doctor may prescribe you a different antibiotic or prescribe a low-dose antibiotic to take for up to 6 months. If it is caused by menopause, your doctor may prescribe a vaginal cream that contains estrogen. Sometimes further tests are recommended to find the underlying cause.
In some people, UTI symptoms don’t get better, and urine tests don’t show signs of infection. Then, you might be suffering from a chronic UTI, caused by bacteria entering the lining of the bladder. Chronic UTIs are hard to diagnose and make it difficult to treat. You may need to take antibiotics for a long time. If chronic UTIs make a big impact on your life, then your doctor may refer you to a specialist.
Female urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the vagina or urethra and there they grow and multiply and cause this infection. There are many reasons why bacteria can enter your urinary tract. However, it is easily treatable if you notice the UTI symptoms mentioned above and seek medical help.
Need help with a UTI, visit our gynecology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!! Log on to www.doralhw.org or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212 to book an appointment. At Doral Health and Wellness – Women’s Health Center, we have the best GYN doctor in Brooklyn, and we provide women with quality health care services. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org/department/gynecology/
