What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the urinary tract. This type of infection can affect your urethra (a condition called urethritis), your kidneys (a condition called pyelonephritis), or your bladder (a condition called cystitis).

Your urine usually does not contain bacteria (germs). Urine is a byproduct of our filtering system - the kidneys. When waste products and excess water are removed from your blood by the kidneys, urine is produced. Normally, urine moves through your urinary system without contamination. However, bacteria can enter the urinary system from outside the body and cause problems such as infection and inflammation. This is a urinary tract infection (UTI).

What is the urinary system?

The urinary tract produces and stores urine, one of the body's liquid waste products. The urinary tract is made up of the following parts:

Kidneys: These small organs are found in the back of the body, just above the hips. They are your body's filters - they remove waste and water from your blood. This waste becomes urine.

Ureter: Ureters are thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Bladder: A bag-like container, the bladder stores urine before it leaves the body.

Urethra: This tube carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

How common are urinary tract infections (UTIs)?

UTIs are very common, affecting 1 in 5 women at some point in their life. Although UTIs are common in women, they can also occur in men, the elderly, and children. One to 2% of children develops urinary tract infections. Every year there are 8 million to 10 million visits to doctors for urinary tract infections.

What are the causes of a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

UTIs are caused by microorganisms - usually bacteria - that invade the urethra and bladder, causing inflammation and infection. While a UTI is more common in the urethra and bladder, bacteria can also travel through the ureters and infect the kidneys. More than 90% of bladder infections (cystitis) are caused by E. coli, a bacterium normally presents in the intestine.

What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

A UTI causes redness and irritation of the lining of the urinary tract (inflammation), which can cause some of the following symptoms:

• Pain in the side (flank), abdomen, or pelvic area.
• pressure in the lower pelvis. Frequent urination (frequency), urinary urgency (urgency), and incontinence (leakage of urine).
• Painful urination (dysuria) and blood in the urine.
• The need to urinate at night.
• Abnormal urine color (cloudy urine) and heavy or foul-smelling urine.
• Other symptoms that may be associated with a UTI include:
• pain during intercourse. penis pain.
• Pain in the flank (side of the body) or lower back.
• Fatigue.
• Fever (temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and chills.
• To throw up. Mental changes or confusion.

Who Gets Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)?

Anyone can get UTIs, but they are more common in women. This is because the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) is shorter in women and is closer to the anus, where E. coli bacteria are common. Older people are also at higher risk of developing cystitis. This increased risk may be due to incomplete emptying of the bladder. Several conditions can be linked, including an enlarged prostate or bladder prolapse (a condition in which the bladder falls or slips out of its normal position).

If you have frequent UTIs, your doctor may perform tests to check for other health conditions, such as diabetes or an abnormal urinary system, that could be contributing to your infections. People with frequent UTIs are sometimes given low-dose antibiotics for a while to keep the infection from coming back. This cautious approach to treating frequent UTIs is because your body can become resistant to the antibiotic and you can develop other types of infections, such as C. diff colitis. This practice is used very rarely.